Mozart’s Kiss
by Sandylee007
Summary: Naruto’s life hasn’t been perfect, and he only feels at home with his guitar. What happens when a strange, icy violinist comes into picture, smashing the little security he’s managed to build up? A tornado erupts, that’s what. AU SasuNaru
1. The One Where I First Met You

A/N: Heh, I was struggling to gather the kick for a new chapter for one of my projects, when I realized that I wanted to start something… different. And so I turned to my dear lil' poll. (grins) Here's what popped out!

First off, **thank you from the bottom of my heart for voting** – my goodness, there's almost 290 of you! (gasps, and GLOMS) Thank you so much – you're the BEST!

WARNINGS: YAOI, AU, general weirdness, language, suggestive material, harshess overall… Ya know, the usual stuff in my fics. (grins cheekily)

DISCLAIMER: ME, OWN?! (howls with laughter) Oh man… See any pigs flying – no? Then I guess I still don't own a thing. (pouts) Rats!

Awkay, because I want to get this shipped out before I change my mind… (gulps nervously) Let's get started – I REALLY hope ya'll enjoy this!

* * *

_**Mozart's Kiss**_

* * *

TRACK 1 – The One Where I Met You

* * *

Naruto had never liked visiting the cemetery. Something about that place's atmosphere always gave him unnerving chills, made him feel like he'd been intruding. The hardest part, however, was visiting his parents' grave. Because no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't feel the way he should've.

How was he supposed to cry after people he'd never even met? How could he have missed something he'd never had?

It'd taken the first ten years of his life before he'd found a place to call home, before someone had actually accepted him. And although he knew it was wrong and unfair, he couldn't help feeling that these two had abandoned him to that life.

But still, as he placed a single rose to their grave, his eyes stung, and his throat was so choked that it was hard to speak. "Hey", he all but whispered, not knowing what to say; getting started was always the hardest part. He took a deep breath, lifting his gaze towards the sky. It'd rain soon. "I'm sorry I didn't come yesterday. I… I turned fifteen, and my friends had this surprise party for me." His breathing wheezed just a little bit, and it took a long moment before he got himself composed. "I… got a card from the oprhanage, too – I'm pretty sure Danzo didn't write it, though. They're hoping I have a good life now, or something like that." He grit his teeth, focusing on the practically unfamiliar names on the stone. "And… I do. I've got friends, Iruka looks after me, and I get to play my guitar. My grades are far from perfect, but…" He shrugged, speechless all of a sudden. The stinging of his eyes grew worse for a moment until it faded away. "I just… I was wondering if you guys wanted to know."

He was almost relieved to hear steps from behind him. Turning his gaze, he found Iruka stood subtly some steps away. "Are you ready to go?"

He nodded a bit more excitedly than he'd meant to. "Yeah." He blinked furiously, although he wasn't entirely sure why. "Let's get out of here, before I'll be late from work."

-

Watching Naruto go, Iruka fought back a sigh.

It'd taken years before Naruto had gotten over all the scars the years of loneliness and living without anyone caring about him had left. He could only imagine what kind of a struggle it'd been for the teen to learn to trust him, to get friends and try to settle into a normal life. But now, the blond seemed almost perfectly recovered – mostly, at least.

With another sigh, he took a glimpse towards the rose Naruto had all but thrown and abandoned to the grave. Just looking at the flower, he could almost sense the anger.

It hurt him to see Naruto repeat all the mistakes he'd once made, to see the teen struggle with the exact same turmoil he'd barely conquered.

Only then noticing that he hadn't been following, Naruto stopped and turned towards him with a frown. "What's wrong?"

It took a lot of him to create a smile. "Nothing – I was just… thinking about something." With that he started to move. "Now let's get going before you'll really be late."

* * *

In the end Naruto was late, almost fifteen minutes so. He panted heavily while bursting in through a café's backdoor, getting changed as he rushed on. It took a while before his breathing was normal enough to allow him to accompany Sakura, who was stood behind the counter.

He glanced around rather warily. "Jiraiya hasn't noticed I'm late, right?"

Sakura shook her head, appearing between amused and irritated. "Nope. He hooked up a customer again – I wouldn't expect him to appear before two."

He shuddered. That was a lot more information than he would've wanted.

He then gave the pinkette an apologetic look. "'Sorry you had to work alone. There was just… something I had to do."

She shrugged. "I'm used to it. Besides…" She grinned. "I've had entertainment."

He opened his mouth to ask, but before he got out another word something – or rather someone – sitting at the most distant table caught his attention.

It was a raven-haired, very much attractive boy he didn't recall ever seeing before. The teen seemed to be focused on some book, and he would've given a lot to know which book it was. Quite soon, however, his eyes locked to the violin case leaning against the teen's chair. His eyebrow bounced up.

Was this guy a musician, too? This was almost too perfect to be true.

He was shaken from his thoughts when Sakura spoke. "That guy's Sasuke Uchiha – I've heard that he's gone to a private school but starts in ours tomorrow. He plays a violin, and I've heard he's pretty damn good."

He couldn't help chuckling, nor could he keep himself from glancing towards Sasuke. "You should become a private detective."

Sakura stuck out her tongue at him, then pushed a full cup of coffee towards him with a sharp motion. "Black coffee and one sugar, nothing else – apparently he hates sweet stuff."

He stared at her with disbelief. "Are you setting me up?"

Sakura shrugged, pulling on her best innocent face. "I'd never do that, would I?" She then rolled her eyes, appearing exasperated. "Just give him the damn coffee, will you?"

He half-glared at his friend, and mouthed 'I hate you' to which she responded with her sweetest smile.

Something inside him screamed with warning when he took the coffee-cup the pinkette practically showed to his hands, but his head was buzzing with so many thoughts at one go that he didn't have the time to listen to reason. And much faster than he felt ready for it, he was on his way towards the raven.

He might've been able to complete his little mission successfully if fate hadn't chosen to abandon him once more. For when he was only steps away from Sasuke, his foot hit something wet on the floor and he slipped – sending the coffee flying on Sasuke in a mighty curve.

His eyes widened as he watched the disaster helplessly.

_Oh shit…!_

And then the coffee was all over Sasuke. The raven cursed under his breath, making far more people than Naruto would've liked look. Onyx, extremely irritated eyes found his, and he felt all breath disappear.

He could _not_ lose this job. And that thought finally put some movement into him.

Snatching a rather huge pile of napkins from the nearest table, he rushed over to the still glaring raven, trying his best to fix the damage. "Oh man… I'm sorry, I'm so sorry – I honestly didn't mean to…!"

Sasuke groaned with annoyance, swatting his hand away. "Just leave, will you?"

He winced. "Hey, I said I'm sorry, didn't I? So don't be an ass about it."

Sasuke's eyes were still filled with extreme irritation, and the raven's mouth opened until the boy noticed something by the café's doorway. "Whatever." The raven all but slammed some money to the table. "Forget about the coffee." So saying the boy got up, then marched away and out of the café before he could get another word out.

He scoffed, at himself or Sasuke he didn't know. "That went smoothly."

-

Sakura found it hard to stiffle a laughter when Naruto walked up to her, looking ready to kill someone. "So… It didn't go as planned?"

The blond groaned. "That was the last time I'm letting you play matchmaker. He's all yours."

She shrugged. "I'm bi, but he's not my type. Besides, you two look like the perfect match."

Naruto let his moody expression do the talking while slumping heavily to a nearby chair, muttering something rather dark she couldn't make out.

Very slowly, a sly, knowing grin appeared to her face.

How about that. It looked like things were cooking up pretty nicely…

* * *

The next morning, Naruto was almost falling asleep in the school bus – listening to his friends Kiba and Shikamaru bickering about something he couldn't focus on – until the vehicle stopped all of a sudden.

Naruto felt his eyes widen a little when noticing Sasuke entering. He felt like wincing.

Great. This was was just what he needed…

And then the raven was stood before him with an unreadable expression. For some reason the first thing he noticed was that the Uchiha had his violin along again. "Move your ass, will you?"

He gave the boy a somewhat suspicious look. The Uchiha wasn't going to kill him or something, was he? "Why would you want to sit next to me?"

The raven nodded towards the back of the bus. Looking that way, he found five girls who were all but drooling while staring at the raven. "I'm _not_ going to sit there. So move before I make you."

He made room slowly. "Fine. So long as you don't trash my guitar."

Sasuke gave his instrument, which was currently resting against his seat, a look. "Do you carry that thing everywhere?"

He shrugged. "Like you wouldn't carry around your violin."

When Sasuke arched an eyebrow at him, he felt like swallowing his tongue. He was starting to sound like a stalker, wasn't he?

Just then the bus braked without a warning – sending Sasuke flying directly to his arms. Out of instinct, or perhaps for some other reason he just couldn't understand yet, he wrapped his arms around the raven. His heart had never hammered the way it did then, and from the rush of blood he couldn't even hear how pretty much everyone in the bus burst into a laughter.

If looks could kill, he would've most definitely dropped dead the second Sasuke's dark eyes met his. "Let go of me, idiot."

It wasn't until then he noticed what he was doing. He didn't think he'd ever blushed as hard as he did when letting go like Sasuke had burned him and nearly pushing the boy away.

The raven's eyes were still narrowed at him when the boy took a step away, fists balled. "Don't ever touch me again, understood?"

He snorted, folding his arms. He couldn't understand why his skin tingled the way it did just then. "You seriously have some issues, don't you?" he barely managed to sputter.

There was no telling what might've happened if the bus hadn't stopped again just then. In a blink Sasuke had disappeared.

He didn't know how long he'd sat there – absolutely paralyzed – until his best friend Kiba walked up to him. There was a loudly speaking, amused look on the boy's face.

He gave his friend a threatening look. "Another word and I'll kick your sorry ass."

Kiba gave him a faked innocent look. "What? I haven't even said a thing."

Without saying a word they walked out of the bus, he all but sulking and Kiba holding back laughter. His skin didn't stop tingling until after two full hours.

* * *

By the time time the day's fifth lesson ended, Naruto was pleased to discover that pretty much everyone but Kiba had forgotten that morning's bus-incident.

He was walking towards math-class when all of a sudden, violin music floated to his ears. Someone was playing, and by the sound of it pretty well. One of his eyebrows immediately arched.

Naruto had always been a very curious person – it was a personality trait that'd led him into a huge trouble far more times than he could count. And once again he couldn't help himself.

His steps were surprisingly soundless while he made his way towards the melody, eventually entering music class. He blinked once, then twice more when finding that it was none other than Sasuke playing. The teen's eyes were closed with concentration and the boy's hand moved faster than he could keep up with. The notes came out so effortlessly and the music was so beautiful that he felt some shivers.

Naruto knew leaving would've been the most sensible thing to do. But for some reason his muscles just wouldn't move.

He hesitated for the longest time, wondering if he was intruding or disturbing something very private. But in the end his truest nature got the best of him, and he started to play the guitar he carried around everywhere. It'd never been easier to find the notes than it was then, although he didn't even know the song.

The mixture their instruments created was such that almost took his breath away with its power. Melodies blend together, filled the entire room with music that was like nothing he'd ever heard before.

It was… like this whole new melody had been waiting for ages to be released.

He didn't know how long they'd been playing when the music ended just as suddenly as it'd started. When he opened his eyes – unable to remember when he'd closed them – he found Sasuke glaring at him. "Is there any good reason why you're bothering my training session?" the raven all but hissed.

It took a while before he managed to overcome the affects of their music enough to bite back. "The last time I checked, this is a common space. So deal with it."

Sasuke released a rather loud, dangerous growl. "You really are annoying." With that as his judgement the teen put away his violin and started to march towards him to get to the door. "Just leave me alone, will you?"

For some reason his heart was racing while his blood boiled, making his cheeks heat up. "What the hell is your problem?"

The door slammed as Sasuke's final snarl.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he looked at the closed door, and he all but hissed – boiled – with such rage no other human being had ever managed to trigger in him.

"Yo, Naruto?" Kiba's voice made him jump with startle. Turning around, he discovered that the boy had entered through the door that separated the music class from the one next to it. Judging by the brunet's expression, the boy had been calling him for quite some time. One eyebrow was arched at him. "Do you have fever or something? 'Cause you look like you'd finished a marathon."

He grit his teeth, shooting a one more glare at the innocent door Sasuke had walked through. "No", he growled. "I just met the most infuriating person in the entire universe."

Kiba had a questioning expression on his face, but apparently the boy knew better than the pry further. "Whatever." The brunet then motioned him to follow. "Now c'mon, the next class is about to start. Kakashi's gonna smash our asses if we're late again."

Still seething inside, he followed. Hard as he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about Sasuke for the rest of the day.

* * *

TBC, or…?

* * *

A/N: And there's our startout. Soooo… (gulps very, VERY nervously) What do ya guys say – is that worth getting another chapter, or should I shoot this one right down? As always, it's your call!

So please, **PLEASE** review to let me know your thoughts – it'd seriously mean a lot! (gives HUGE puppy's eyes)

And thank you so much for reading this first chappy!

Until next time – with whichever story that may be!

Take care!


	2. The One Where You Became My Obsession

A/N: First off, I'm terribly sorry for this long delay! (winces) There was just another project I've been fighting to get completed. (But hopefully, they'll be faster from nowon.) And honestly, I wasn't expecting that I'd get the update out now. I've got a flue incoming with a tiny bit of fever. Nice… (groans)

BUT, now, before getting to the story… Thank you so much for the absolutely incredible reviews you left! (huggles) This story would've never continued existing without them. THANK YOU! (hugs again)

Awkay, because you've already been waiting for ages… Let's go! (gulps) I truly hope ya'll enjoy this one.

* * *

TRACK 2 – The One Where You Became My Obsession

* * *

_Two Weeks Later_

* * *

People tend to say that time mends. That wasn't the case with Naruto and Sasuke.

During the past couple of weeks they'd been glaring, hissing and getting into countless of embarrassing situations until there was a state that could be called Cold War between them. Naruto had never, ever met anyone he'd detest as much as he did Sasuke. It was also the first time someone filled his head so completely, stretching tentacles to every single one of his thoughts like an octopus of some sort. That disturbing thought made him even further annoyed.

That day, Sakura finally had it with watching them and listening to his constant whining.

Her eyes were narrowed as she looked at him while they were heading to a class. The glare effectively cut his mutterings about Sasuke. "Listen up, Naruto", she stated in a dry tone. "I've been your friend for the past five years. I've accepted your fooling around, your occasional obsessions and your unhealthy addiction to ramen. But now, I've had it!"

His hands moved animatedly as he spoke. "That guy's driving me up the wall – you've seen what he's like! It's impossible to deal with him rationally."

"You're fifteen, for crying out loud – get over it!" she cried out, so loudly that they got some looks from the people passing by. "Geez, Naruto! He's just a guy, not some sociopath. And he's a new student – don't you remember how hard that is?"

He quirked a suspicious eyebrow. "So I'm supposed to become his buddy?" He snorted. "You've gotta be kidding me…!"

She replied with swatting his head, hard. "No – it'd lead into a homicide. But stop making his life even harder, will you? Act civilized. Be the bigger person."

He smiled wryly. "You make it sound so easy."

She shrugged. "It's growing up." Just then the bell rang as a sign that the new class was about to start. She waved. "Bye. And remember what I said, will you?"

He replied with something that sounded like a bark, then braced himself and entered the classroom, already knowing that Sasuke would be there. Sasuke was always the first person sitting in the class, he'd come to discover.

And he wasn't proven wrong. Sasuke was there, looking out the window deep in thought.

Taking a deep breath and steeling himself, he began to approach the other.

_I'm so going to regret this…_

Sasuke gave him a look of mistrust. "What do you want?"

He sighed heavily, feeling like he was running straight towards a brickwall. "Look… We didn't exactly start out right, 'k? And…" What the hell was he babbling about? He shrugged, more at himself than Sasuke. "I don't know, maybe a fresh start would be nice." He wondered if his words sounded as funny as they tasted.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly at him. "Do I have to spell it out for you? I don't need you harassing me just because Sakura or whoever the hell it was got the idea that we should become buddies. So leave me alone – I'm not your charity project."

He scoffed, folding his arms. For some reason those words hurt much more than they should've. "Geez! Would it hurt you physically to communicate like a normal human being?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. He did the same thing, muttering darkly under his breath.

_Sakura and her great advice…_

Just then all other students barged into the classroom, along with Kiba and Shikamaru.

Kiba arched an eyebrow at him while sitting. "We didn't interrupt anything, did we?"

Sasuke's glare would've made even hell itself freeze over, and the other students knew to keep a safe distance to the Uchiha.

Naruto, on the other hand, gave his friend a dry look. "Very funny." Then, deciding that he needed to take some distance to the raven, he got up. "I'm gonna go and get some water. Genma's gonna be late, anyway."

He might've been able to make it through the classroom at least somewhat gracefully, if it wasn't for his bad luck or someone's twisted sense of humor.

Because all of a sudden someone's leg was thrown to the floor before him, and he was too deep in thought to notice. He tripped with a yelp – and landed straight against Sasuke, his lips clashing uncomfortably loudly against the stunned raven's.

For exactly five seconds the classroom was still in a dumbfounded silence, and Naruto found himself paralyzed. Then – so suddenly that the air seemed to shiver a little – time resumed. Pretty much every student watching exploded into a laughter while Naruto and Sasuke broke apart as fast as they could, spitting and cussing.

There was no mistaking Sasuke's tone. "You… fucking moron… Stop molesting me!"

And suddenly he remembered the couple of weeks old 'buss incident' much too clearly. He didn't have the time for any reaction, because Sasuke was faster. His ears rung as a fist met his face. As from that moment the situation was out of control – all the way until the room's door opened, and Genma entered.

Seeing the two by the time beat up teens, the man's expression turned into a far from pleased one. "Do I even want to know?" Receiving no response, the man sighed heavily. "To the principal's office, _right now_."

Naruto winced.

Great. Trouble was exactly what he needed…

* * *

Over her career as a principal, Tsunade had met – to put it kindly – challenging cases. What she faced that day was, however, definitely something else.

Resisting the urge to sigh, she looked at the bruised boys who sat before her with their arms folded, glaring at each other. "From what I've heard, I've put together that you're not exactly the best of friends."

Sasuke made a gruff sound.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "It's impossible to befriend with a block of ice."

At the moment, she would've wanted to punch them both, hard. She, however, controlled herself with counting to ten and spoke as evenly as possible. "I should call your parents. Heck, I could have you suspended temporarily. This school has a strict policy when it comes to violence. But somehow I've got a feeling that it'd be of no use with you two."

Both boys gave her suspicious looks. "Then… What are you gonna do?" Naruto dared to ask.

She fought the urge to smile a little. So these two weren't idiots, after all. "We'll see. But listen to me carefully, now." Her expression turned threatening. "If I _ever_ catch you doing something like this again, I won't be this merciful. Learn to deal with each other, or deal with me and pay the consequences. Understood?"

Both nodded simultaneously with dark expressions.

* * *

Naruto groaned when they finally stepped out of Tsunade's office. "Oh man… That was nasty."

Sasuke responded with a glare.

He rolled his eyes. "Is that your answer to everything?"

This time, Sasuke replied with a sharp, openly hostile 'Hn'. Just then the raven's cell-phone snapped to life, and even without meaning to he found himself listening to the few short sentences. "Now what?" There was a change of some sort that disturbed him in the raven's eyes. "I see." Every single one of the boy's facial muscles tensed up. "I'll be right there after school." With that the Uchiha hung up.

He frowned. "What's wrong?" He couldn't help it. Most of the time he was a rather gentle, people-person; Sasuke's obvious distress disturbed him.

Sasuke gave him a dark look. "Stay out of my life, will you? Leave me alone already." With that the Uchiha started to walk away.

This once not bothering to shoot back a nasty remark, he observed the boy's distancing back.

For once when it came to Sasuke, he was more intrigued than infuriated. There was a lot of mystery around Sasuke, of that he was sure. And he was rather determined to find out exactly what was going on.

After all, isn't it important that one knows their enemy?

* * *

During his life, Naruto had done countless of insane things. But he was fairly sure the one he did that day easily took the top.

He was actually stalking Sasuke on the boy's journey away from school – and he wasn't even alone. Shikamaru followed him more or less willingly, along with Kiba who'd once again taken his dog Akamaru along.

They must've been following Sasuke – staying hidden as carefully as possible – for almost twenty minutes when Shikamaru groaned for the about fiftieth time. "This is too damn troublesome."

He gave his friend a dry look. "You should've gone home if you're gonna complain all the time."

Shikamaru snorted. "What, and let you do something like this alone? He'd get you caught in an instant and kill you. And guess who'd be the one to blame?"

Just then Kiba stopped so abruptly that Naruto bumped into him. The brunet's eyes were widened slightly. "Uh-huh… Take a look at that."

Naruto did, and felt an unexpected jolt.

On the other side of the street, a tiny brown cat had jumped to a fence, and was no mewing loudly at Sasuke, obviously demanding the raven's attention. Quite slowly – as though the boy had been deep in thought – the Uchiha's gaze turned towards the feline. Naruto watched with curiosity and something else entirely how Sasuke first looked at the cat for the longest moment, then gave it a brief caress before starting to walk away.

Beside him Kiba blinked with open stun. "That… was unexpected."

He scoffed, although something shifted inside him. "So he doesn't slay kittens. But he's still a bastard."

"True", Shikamaru agreed, then smirked when getting a text-message and reading it. "As entertaining as this spy-game is, I've got an actual life that's calling out for me. See you tomorrow."

He nodded, unable to tear his eyes away from Sasuke's distancing back. For some ridiculous reason his skin tingled once more.

Kiba's voice caught him off guard. "So…" The boy gave him a toothy grin. "Is the stakeout still in progress?"

He managed to nod. "Yup. Definitely."

The journey took slightly longer than he'd known to expect, and for a moment he was almost sure Sasuke was just trying to loose them. But then, so suddenly that Naruto blinked, the Uchiha reached his destination and walked in.

Kiba frowned. "A hospital? What the hell is he doing here?"

He shrugged, feeling far more troubled than would've been reasonable. "Beats me." Then, although it was slightly harder than it should've been, he turned to head home. "Well, I've gotta get going. Iruka's gonna call the police if I don't show up soon."

Kiba's expression turned slightly gloomy. "I've gotta get going, too. It's Hana's turn to cook today – Akamaru's damn lucky he's a dog and doesn't have to eat that stuff."

Beside the brunet Akamaru gave a bark of agreement.

They said brief goodbyes before Kiba and Akamaru started to jog off. Once more Naruto turned towards the building, a mixture of feelings swirling inside him.

It was really annoying, to feel so close and far to figuring out something.

With that thought he turned once and started to walk away with slow, reluctant steps.

* * *

That evening was surprisingly long to Naruto – and far too filled with thoughts of Sasuke.

He didn't know how long he'd been zoning out until Iruka's voice snatched him back to reality. "So… What's wrong?"

He blinked twice. "Nothing", he claimed a little too fast. "What makes you think something would be wrong?"

Iruka gave him a somewhat amused look. "Earlier you barely touched your dinner. Now you've been staring off into space for almost ten minutes. I think those are pretty clear signs."

He shrugged, not exactly sure how to explain without sounding idiotic. "There's just… this guy." Dear god, he sounded like a girl…! "He's got me all worked up. I don't know what to do."

Had he looked, he might've seen the knowing look that flashed by Iruka's face. "I see." There was a small, thoughtful pause. "Well, I suggest you hang in there. These things tend to choose their direction on their own sooner or later."

He quirked an eyebrow while looking towards his foster father. "How would you know?"

The brunet gave him a look. "Would you believe that I've been a teen once? I know a little bit something about these things."

A slight smile made it to his face. "Yeah, I know. Thanks." He then got up with a wince and stretched. "Mah, I should go and do my homework. If I keep going on like this I'll get kicked out of the school because of that bastard."

He'd already almost walked out the room when Iruka spoke once more. "Just out of curiosity… What's that guy's name?"

He shrugged, still walking. "Sasuke Uchiha." Then, as an afterthought, he added. "If I don't show up in an hour, come and wake me up, will you?"

Iruka didn't respond, probably didn't even hear. Had Naruto turned, he would've seen the look of near-schock that lingered on the man's face for a moment.

* * *

The following day started with a music class. Usually, it would've been Naruto's favorite. But this time, Sasuke also joined the class. The room's temperature dropped as they glared at each other.

Sasuke emitted a far from pleased sound. "Not you again…"

He made a sound even he couldn't make out, without realizing what he was doing choosing a chair quite close to the raven. "So you think I'm here because of you? Don't flatter yourself, Uchiha."

Sasuke looked away with a roll of eyes, folding his arms. Suddenly the boy appeared almost tired, which got to him for some incomprehensible reason. "Whatever. Just leave me alone, Uzumaki."

He scoffed, sitting. "Gladly." Some other time, he might've wondered how Sasuke knew his surname.

Just then their teacher Kakashi Hatake walked into the room, his hair disheveled and face flushed. "Sorry I'm late – my car broke down and I had to walk five kilometres."

From someone else, Naruto might've believed that.

Kakashi then rubbed his hands together. "So… I've planned something different for this course. Instead of your usual final exam, there'll be… something else." The man grinned. "We'll put together a band, and at the end of the semester you'll be playing for the rest of the school."

Naruto actually felt his eyes lit up. This sounded so good!

Kakashi took a paper and started to read. "Naruto, you'll play guitar. Shino, you take the bass and Chouji's our drummer. The rest of you will decide who'll become the lead-singer and the rest are backup singer." Then, as though an afterthought, the man added. "Oh yes, and Sasuke plays the violin. I think it'll make a nice addition."

And Naruto newfound joy crashlanded to a glare and a groan. "I'm not going to play in the same band with _that_!" he and Sasuke growled together.

Kakashi gave them a far from impressed look. "You just demonstrated why I decided to put together this little band. The one who backs down _will_ get an F, understood?" The man then focused on Sasuke. "Now, let's take a look at what we've got. You'll start, the rest will follow."

Sasuke gave the man a dark look. "Do I have to?"

Kakashi's expression spoke far more effectively than any words.

With a loud growl, Sasuke obeyed. The Uchiha closed his eyes while taking his violin, and visibly pulled in a deep breath. Then – so suddenly that Naruto blinked a little with startle – the boy started to play. At first it was slightly tense, as though the raven had been unsure if it was alright to play in front of the crowd, but then the passion took over. For the first time since they'd met, he saw Sasuke's face relax completely as the boy's eyes closed, and it looked like the music had actually filled the raven. He wondered if it really got a little colder in the room as he watched, feeling like he couldn't fit into his skin anymore.

So absorbed by the music he was, that it took a moment before he sensed Kakashi looking at him. Finally finding his gaze, the man gave a nod. It was time for him to join in.

He couldn't understand why he felt hesitant; after all, he'd always been the most comfortable and confident with his guitar. That thought lit some boiling inside him. He wasn't about to let Sasuke wreck music for him.

With that thought he finally got what it took, and allowed his muscles to move. Already with the first notes he was sent into a state of mind where nothing else but music existed, twirled like a living being.

His music blended into Sasuke's, and soon enough violin and guitar started a furious, fire-filled dance around each other. The music hissed, spun, retreated, attacked, flew and boiled with such passion that it had him breathless, like it'd stolen its life from him. A quick, absentminded glimpse towards Sasuke told that the raven was experiencing something similar behind his stony exterior. He blushed a little, unsure if it was for embarrassment or the sheer heat of the moment.

Their song was like an invitation to a dangerous yet alluring dance; a clear challenge. And neither wanted to back down.

Little by little, with some shock and hesitation, other instruments joined in, but he barely heard them from the buzzing going on inside his head.

He couldn't tell how long they'd been playing until the song was finally over and they stopped simultaneously. He panted, out of breath, dizzy and shivering like a leaf.

_What the heck just happened?!_

Because… The last time he'd felt quite as elated when playing was when he'd done so for the first time.

For several long moments Kakashi stared at them with scarcely visible stun. Then, slowly, a slightly smug smile came to the man's face. "Now, do you understand why I wanted you to try and play together?"

Sasuke responded with marching away and slamming the door as he went. At that exact moment schoolbell rang as a sign that the class was over.

Looking at the closed door, Kakashi gave something that sounded like a groan, then turned towards the rest of them. "We'll keep practicing next time. By then, I'm expecting you all to pick some song suggestions for the little concert."

As the others left Naruto sat still for a moment, wondering.

He'd never been anticipating and dreading something at the same time like this.

Shaking his head, he got up – only to stop when noticing something on the floor right beside the chair Sasuke had been occupying. With a frown he picked up the item.

It was… a call-card. And he felt himself blush when realizing that it was to the town's absolutely worst pub called 'The Snake's Den'. Based on Jiraiya's tale, that place even had stippers.

So… What the hell did Sasuke have to do with it?

With a weird sound that came from deep within him, he slid the card into his pocket, coming to a conclusion.

The schoolyear definitely wouldn't be boring.

* * *

Naruto spent the upcoming two hours in some sort of a daze, unable to really think, let alone function. For some ridiculous reason that was beyond him all he could focus on was the music he'd just created with Sasuke – and the card that seemed to burn a hole to his pocket.

Unable to fight back a snort although he was sitting in the middle of the school's cafeteria, he poked his food as though he'd feared it'd attack him.

_I must be a masochist._

Sakura's voice startled him out of that thought. "So…", she started while sitting, stretching every word. "I heard you had an interesting music class."

He gave her a dry look although his heart jumped a little too fast. "Not a single word about that, 'k?" Deciding that his dry sandwich wasn't something worth eating, he pushed it away. "It was just too weird."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

For a moment he almost told her about both his little music-moment with Sasuke and the mysterious card, but changed his mind. He shrugged. "Wish I knew." Unable to hold himself back, he went on. "Sakura… Do you think he could be in a trouble, or something?"

Her frown from before deepened. "Honestly, I have no idea." Her expression then turned suspicious. "Are you hiding something from me?"

As it turned out, he never had to answer. For just then Sakura noticed someone, and groaned loudly before looking at him once more. "We'll continue this discussion later, okay?"

He nodded far from eagerly.

As soon as Sakura had left he fished the card from his pocket and looked at it.

Heaven knows he didn't like Sasuke too much. But… What if something really bad was going on? Could he just turn his back and forget about it?

Already then he had a nasty feeling that he knew the answer.

* * *

Since Sasuke came to picture, Naruto had shocked himself many times with his own actions. That day, he did something he was fairly sure he'd regret later.

Close to eleven that evening, after sneaking out of his room through a window, he found himself stood in the rather short, reeking line of people waiting to get into 'The Snake's Den'. Most of the other customers gave him suspicious looks, some grinned suggestively and he was fairly sure he felt someone pinch his ass. And he wanted to disappear from the face of the planet.

But then it was too late, because he was already stood before the place's bouncer. The man – who had sharp teeth, sharkish features and the strangest, almost bluish color of skin – arched an eyebrow and snorted at him. "You've gotta be kidding me."

He did his best to stand tall, although he felt like a five-year-old. "I _am_ eighteen." He didn't sound convincing even to his own ears.

The man rolled his eyes. "Beat it and I won't call your parents. We have some actual customers trying to get in."

He opened his mouth, but before he could make a sound someone called out. "Kisame, a little help here!"

Giving him a one more, threatening look, the man started to march towards what looked like an approaching bloodbath. Closeby another man with long, blond hair and blue eyes was trying to keep two very drunk, huge men who looked like identical twins from killing each other.

He stood dazedly for a moment, until he realized that his chance had arrived. Making sure that everyone's eyes were on the little spectacle, he sneaked in – and in a beat wished he hadn't.

The stench that hit him across the face was absolutely horrible, but it wasn't the worst part. For at that moment he saw exactly what the more or less conscious customers were oggling at. And he wanted to hurl.

On a stage nearby, two undeniably attractive women were dancing. There was next to nothing on them, and as people cheered even that little disappeared.

Naruto's head spun as he staggared several steps backwards.

_What the hell have I gotten myself into?!_

Blushing far harder than should've been humanly possible, he was just about to leave when something caught his attention.

To the stage on the other side of the stinking place appeared a very young-looking woman with extremely long, black hair. She only had little dark-blue fabric on her, and based on the crowd's nearly primal reaction even that was too much. Her moves almost viciously angry, she spun around, giving a clear view of everything the people inside had paid to see. And then she lifted her gaze – revealing pale face, and onyx eyes that carried what looked like a ton of makeup. Onyx eyes that radiated barely controllable wrath and disgust.

Naruto's eyes widened until they nearly popped out.

Because at that moment, he realized that he was looking at none other than Sasuke Uchiha.

* * *

TBC, no?

* * *

A/N: Aaand, there you have chapter two. (grins, then gulps) Sooo… Whadda you say – is that worth continuing?

**PLEASE**, do make my day and let me know your thoughts! It'd seriously mean a lot to me. (gives puppy's eyes)

IN THE NEXT ONE (in case you want such): Naruto and Sasuke keep dancing around each other as secrets are revealed. Soon enough it's a hard task to tell apart reality from lies.

Until next time, folks – whenever and with whichever story that may be!

Peace out!


	3. The One Where You Got Under My Skin

A/N: I'm baack, and rather well on time this time! (grins)

First of, of course… MAN, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all those fantastic review! (GLOMPS, and beams) I didn't fail to notice that there was more of them now than for the first chappy, ya know? So THANK YOU! (hugs again) As always with my ficcies, **responses to anonymous reviews** can be found from underneath the chappy.

Awkay, because I don't want to make you fall asleep with my babbling, let's go! (gulps) I really hope ya'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

TRACK 3 – The One Where You Got Under My Skin

* * *

Staring at Sasuke – who could barely be recognized – Naruto didn't have the slightest clue what to do. His gaze lingered far too long on the naked parts of the raven's body, as though drinking in the view, while his mind spun around. His body, on the other hand, seemed to know exactly what to do. He spun around, and darted out of the building through the backdoor.

Once in the tiny, stinking alleyway, he tried furiously to come up with a plan of some sort.

So Sasuke… Sasuke was a freaking stripper – and dressed up as a girl? Sasuke was dancing in a place like _this_? And he… Even the mere thought sickened him, but he had to confess that he'd enjoyed watching the performance. He'd _liked_ watching Sasuke – several parts of his body had.

Nothing in the world made sense anymore.

And then, far before he was ready for it, a familiar person emerged from the building.

The moment Sasuke saw him the raven's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You."

He knew he was pushing it, but he couldn't hold himself back in his current adrenaline rush. "What – you took off the mascara and all? Pity."

Most people would've most likely freaked out in Sasuke's position, but the Uchiha was no ordinary case. Emitting a loud, barely human growl the raven stomped past him. "Leave me the fuck alone, will you? I'm in no mood for this right now."

He scoffed, turning sharply towards the distancing back. "Sasuke, what the heck are you doing dressed up as a girl in a place like this? Do they even know you're a minor?"

Sasuke froze and stiffened, never turning his way. "If you tell anyone about this, you're dead, understood?"

He snorted. "Like they'd even believe me."

Just then a male-voice he'd never heard before cut in, making him shiver a little. "Sasuke." Turning, he found a man with long, black hair and chilling snake's eyes stood by the door through which Sasuke had walked. "Come inside, will you. There's…" The man then seemed to notice him, and gave a sickeningly pleasant smile. "… some business we need to take care of."

His expression dark, Sasuke nodded and started to approach, hands shoved deep into his pockets. Soon enough to boy was almost back inside.

Naruto frowned, not liking this all one bit. What the heck was going on? "Sasuke?"

For this short, heavy moment Sasuke turned so that their gazes met. And for a while he almost managed to find something he couldn't quite name from the boy's eyes. "Go home, will you? You don't belong here." With that the Uchiha disappeared through the door.

Naruto knew he should've done something, anything – something about this situation was _wrong_. But he was a confused fifteen-year-old who's head was hurting and heart hammered from everything he'd discovered that night. All he wanted was to get away.

And that's why he turned slowly, starting to walk away into the night with his head screaming from the million thoughts filling it.

He didn't sleep that night.

* * *

For the next couple of schooldays Naruto avoided Sasuke, and was pleased to discover that the Uchiha was doing pretty much the same thing. He was still confused about everything, and not least of all about his own reactions.

Why was he so worried? And why the heck had he liked how Sasuke had look as a girl?!

That day finally cut the game of hide and seek. The mood wasn't relaxed as he sat in the music-class, sneaking glances towards Sasuke. For once he wasn't glaring – he would've really wanted to know certain things, but school wasn't the right place for asking the necessary questions.

The class that was usually his favorite slipped by in a blur, and afterwards the only thing he remembered was Kakashi asking them which song their band would like to perform. To prevent a state of war the man held a voting, the results of which would be announced later.

When everyone else left the class, Naruto discovered that Sasuke was working on something. Curious as always he approached. "What's that?"

Faster than Sasuke could hide the paper he saw it. It turned out to be notes for a composition – for a very good composition, actually.

Sasuke gave him a somewhat suspicious look. "What?"

He couldn't help smiling a little. "This is… good, you know?" Unable to stop himself he started to hum softly, at some point noticing that Sasuke followed.

The atmosphere was warm as they worked together without speaking, making occasional changes to the notes and humming.

-

Kakashi, who'd been watching the two, grinned while getting up and leaving the room without making a sound.

So those two weren't hopeless cases, after all.

-

Naruto was so worked up by the music and – although he tried not to admit it – Sasuke's company that he didn't pay a lot of attention to what he was doing. Not until he heard a strange sound from the Uchiha's direction, and realized that he'd laid a hand to the boy's.

He pulled his hand away as fast as he could. "Eh… Sorry."

Sasuke's eyes were darker than usual when the boy looked at him. "Stop harassing me, will you?"

He rolled his eyes, although he was fairly sure he was blushing radiantly. Did Sasuke have to keep reminding him of that?! "Don't flatter yourself. Besides, I'm taken."

Kiba's surprised voice made him jump on his seat. "You are?"

So fast that he most likely made a record, he gathered together his stuff and all but dashed to the door, where Kiba was looking at him with questioning eyes.

He gave the brunet a nearly pleading look. "Not now, 'k?"

Kiba shrugged. "Whatever. Sakura's waiting for us – let's go."

-

Naruto never noticed that in the hallway, he dropped the card of 'The Snake's Den' he was still carrying around. Someone was hasty to pick it up.

* * *

For some stupid reason Naruto didn't manage to get his head back on track after the music-class. That song of Sasuke's kept playing in his ears, as though mocking him, while he sat in the school's cafeteria with Sakura and Kiba. And it didn't make matters any easier that he just couldn't stop having flashes of Sasuke as a girl.

He was finally losing it, wasn't he?

He was so deep in thought that Sakura had to punch his shoulder to get his attention. The girl gave him a dry look. "Even a zombie would be more of a company than you are."

He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I was just…" Somehow 'getting all worked up over Sasuke' didn't sound right. "… thinking."

Kiba gave him a knowing look. "About Sasuke, right?" She went on before he could make a sound. "I'm no idiot."

He groaned, looking away. Why were his cheeks so hot? "He's seriously driving me up the wall."

"You know…" Sakura sounded almost amused. She wasn't enjoying this, was she? "If I didn't know better, I'd say you have a crush on him."

He gave her a moody look, although his heart moved funnily. "Well, that's why it's a good thing you _do_ know better." Just then the schoolbell rung, and he got up from his seat slowly, reluctantly. "I've got two hours of P.E. with him. Wish me look, will you?"

"Good luck, Naruto", Kiba reponded in a sing-song voice.

He gave her a somewhat nasty look, then turned towards his inevitable fate once more.

_Be positive_, he told himself as he went with heavy steps. _Maybe this won't be so bad._

Apparently the universe hadn't had enough of punishing Naruto just yet. Because they had karate, and their teacher Asuma decided to pair him up with none of than Sasuke.

Naruto grinned somewhat cheekily at the raven, feeling like a five-year-old. He couldn't understand what it was about the damn Uchiha that made him regress in such a way. "Ready to get your ass kicked?"

Just then Sasuke moved so swiftly that he didn't stand a chance to see anything coming. He made a rather childish sound when the raven swatted the top of his head what he considered unhealthily hard. "That's for interfearing with my life."

With that the fight was on.

Sasuke did _not_ move like most of the guys, Naruto's head was quick to register. Each spin and turn was fast and controlled, and every single one of his hits was dodged so frexibly that he could only blink. Sasuke moved like a damn cat – while a part of him was infuriated by this, another part was far more excited than he would've liked to admit it.

Fighting Sasuke gave him almost the same thrill as playing with the Uchiha. His blood rushed and soon enough he found himself panting.

Of course he should've known better than to let himself get distracted, for Sasuke punished him immediately for his slow pace.

He realeased a far from manly cry when he flew all of a sudden, landing rather roughly to the floor. And then Sasuke was hovering above him with an expression he'd never seen before. "Had enough?"

His eyes narrowed. "You fight like girl."

Sasuke's eyes carried a strange look before the raven shrugged. "Yet I'm not the one who fell flat on their ass."

He revealed his teeth and balled a hard fist. Before he ever got the chance to use it, however, Asuma's voice cut in. "You two, get up and stop glaring at each other, will you?" The man's expression said that he'd had enough. "You've been like a cat and dog. Do something useful for change." The man's eyes gleamed somewhat dangerously as he threw a key to them. "The school's storage room needs cleaning up. Take care of that – right now." Just one look that there'd be no chance for objections.

"I hate you", Naruto muttered when they were out of the teacher's earshot.

Sasuke didn't appear all that affected. "The feeling is more than mutual."

Making a rather moody sound, he focused on watching where he was going. "I knew I shouldn't start messing around with a guy who dresses up as a girl."

Sasuke snorted. "You think I enjoy doing that?"

He frowned. "Then why do you keep doing it? Doesn't your family have more than enough money?" That was an understatement; now that he thought about it, he could easily recall hearing that the Uchiha-family was one of the richest in Konoha.

When hearing the tone and words, he was glad he didn't look towards Sasuke. "My parents are dead."

And all of a sudden he wanted to swallow his tongue. Maybe he did, because all he managed to get out was "Oh…".

Had they not been so deep in thought, they might've noticed a shadow move as whoever had been listening to them disappeared.

* * *

The walk to the storage room seemed to take ages, and the two of them kept exchanging something close to glares all the way. Sasuke coughed sharply when they finally entered the small, windowless and dark room in which dust lingered like a carpet.

For once, it was the raven who broke the silence. "That door can't be opened from the inside. I'll go and find something to bulk the door."

Making a gruff sound, he folded his arms and leaned heavily against the door. "Does that mean I have to come in, too?" He was _not_ planning on going to such a confined space with Sasuke.

As though reading his thoughts, Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Idiot."

He shot a glare towards the raven. "Stop calling me that, will you? It's getting old." Just then he noticed that right above where Sasuke was focused on going through a huge box, a shelve that carried bowling balls and other huge stuff was about to come down. His eyes widened. "Hey, look out!"

He moved forward – and at that exact moment he realized that he'd made a huge mistake. Because the door he'd been keeping open slammed closed and locked.

He swallowed, his eyes widening. "Oh man…!"

Sasuke spun around the exact second the shelve came down, all the objects on it miraculously missing the boy. He'd been expecting to face rage – instead he saw terror, such that was barely under the Uchiha's control. "You didn't…!"

He frowned. Sure, he didn't like the situation one bit. But there was something wrong with Sasuke's reaction. "Hey, what's up? You're not claustrophobic, are you?" Just one looked replied long before words. "Uh-huh…" So Sasuke was actually afraid of something? He had _not_ expected that.

Although he was loud, he'd never been exactly good at consoling people. That's why he could only keep his mouth shut. After what felt like a small eternity Sasuke took a deep, ragged breath and slid down to sit on the floor. Not entirely sure why he repeated the gesture.

Neither knew how long they remained in a heavy, thick silence.

Once again memories of the night before came back to him. "Sasuke… What were you doing in that place, anyway?"

Sasuke gave him a dry look. "What the hell did it look like? I was working."

Ah, how tempting it would've been to smack the Uchiha…! But he controlled himself, narrowly, with a furious grit of teeth. "I know that, bastard. But why there – and why were you wearing girl's clothes?"

At first Sasuke was still and stiff, and he was sure there wouldn't be any sort of a response. But then, slowly… "It's none of your business. I don't have to explain my life to you."

He shrugged. It was amusing, really, how he was getting used to the Uchiha's sharp edges. "Nope, you don't. But… You won't get anywhere shutting everyone out, either."

To his surprise, Sasuke snorted. "You're not one to talk, you know?" The boy gave him a look. "Kiba didn't even know you have a boyfriend, did he? You haven't told anyone."

His face shifting to a rather childish expression, he folded his arms and looked away from the raven. "None of your damn business."

"Hn."

He felt like rolling his eyes or starting to scream. This whole 'making Sasuke open up' –thing wasn't working too well.

After a long moment he glanced towards Sasuke. The Uchiha was still stiff, but at least his expression wasn't as wild as it'd been at first. It looked like the boy was getting over the worst of his claustrophobia.

Sasuke, of course, sensed his stare and glanced at him sharply. "What?"

He shrugged. "Nothing. You look calmer, that's all."

"Hmph." The sound wasn't even close to as sharp as the 'Hn' from before. Sasuke then lifted his gaze, focusing on the roof. For a moment he thought the boy would say something, but in the end nothing came out.

The silence that lingered between them was warm, almost companionable. But in the end he couldn't stand it long. "This is so stupid."

"This is your damn fault for letting the door get closed", Sasuke reminded him rather sharply. "Damn moron."

The corners of his mouth twitched. "Bastard."

For several moments everything was relatively calm, until he suddenly heard a wheezing sound. It took a while before he realized that it came from Sasuke. Looking that boy's way, he discovered that the raven had brought his legs close to his chest, and was now rubbing his chest with a slightly trembling hand. There was a somewhat troubled look on the boy's face.

He frowned, feeling mildly alarmed. "What are you doing?"

Sasuke gave him a heated look. The wheezing became slightly louder. "What… the heck does… it look like?"

In a moment he suddenly clicked, and groaned. "Oh hell… You have asthma, don't you?" And he was pretty sure the Uchiha didn't have his medication along. Seeing the other's surprised look, he went on. "I'm not a total moron, you know? Iruka's friend Hayate has the same problem." Without thinking too much he got up. "Sometimes this helps a bit."

Saying that the look he got was suspicious would've been an understatement. Sasuke's eyes were like those of a wild animal under attack. "What do you… think you're doing?"

He took a deep breath, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "Just… trust me a bit, will you?"

Sasuke whole body stiffened completely when he took a seat behind the boy, and the wheezing intenfied when he laid his hands to the raven's back, feeling each struggling breath. If there'd been an open door, Sasuke would've without a doubt bolted for it, even in his current condition.

"Just relax, will you?" He was surprised by how even and soft his voice was. "Relax, and let me help."

Slowly, almost carefully – not quite trusting that the vicious being under his handling wouldn't attack him – he started to massage Sasuke's back with soft, circling motions. Sasuke obviously hadn't expected anything like this, because the raven's body jolted so that it almost twisted away from him. The Uchiha was clearly much too proud to escape so the boy held still, like some animal remaining completely motionless in hopes of not being spotted.

Some other time such an absurd situation might've amused him. But at the moment, with Sasuke's warmth so very close, he didn't know what to feel.

And then, before he could make up his mind, the door was opened – giving him a much too clear view of Sakura's face.

Sakura arched an eyebrow with a look that said everything necessary. "Uh-huh…", was all she managed.

Naruto actually felt how a radiant shade of red filled up his face. He withdrew his hand from Sasuke like the boy's skin had burned. "This isn't what it looks like!" he and Sasuke wheezed together.

Seeing his chance to escape, Sasuke struggled up in a blink and marched to the door, disappearing before Naruto could properly open his mouth. For some reason such a disappearance made him… disappointed, almost.

Muttering under his breath he got up, his thoughts spinning around. His cheeks tingled, and he had a dark feeling that he was still blushing.

"Uh… Naruto?" Sakura's voice shook him out of his thoughts. There was a weird look on the girl's face as she glanced towards his lower parts. "Pull your shirt down, will you?"

Frowning, he looked down as well. If he hadn't been blushing so far, he definitely did so then. Because right there – well expressive enough for anyone to see it – a mighty bulge had appeared to his pants.

He swallowed thickly, wanting to sink through the floor. "Oh crap…!"

Sakura seemed to have hard time fighting against laughing while she bulked the door. "Just… come out whenever you're ready, 'k?" She opened her mouth, but apparently found it best not to say what she'd had in mind and left instead.

Emitting a loud groan, he slid to the floor and hid his furiously blushing face into his hands, praying that no one would find him.

That Uchiha was going to be the death of him, he decided.

-

As soon as he finally made it out of the storage room, he knew that something far from pleasant was going on. That feeling only grew when he noticed that a great number of the school's students had gathered to the building's main-hallway, clearly staring at something. Sakura and Sasuke were amongst them. The girl appeared utterly pissed, whereas the Uchiha was unnaturally stiff and blanched, his expression a stony mask.

He frowned, approaching still with a gloomy feeling. "Hey, what's up?"

Hearing him, some people moved to give him a view. His eyes widened, and a sick feeling appeared to his stomach as the sight met him.

Onto the wall had been put several photographs of Sasuke. Of Sasuke dressed up as a girl. And the card of 'The Snake's Den' was attached to it, along with a text 'NOW DO YOU SEE?'.

When the far from pleasant mutterings of people – such as 'should've seen this coming' and 'what a freak' – met Naruto's ears, he wished from the bottom of his heart that he would've been strong and brave enough to do something about them. But apparently he was a lousy coward, after all. And all he could do was look towards Sasuke.

He swallowed once more. "This… is nasty", he stated, not knowing what else to say.

The second Sasuke's gaze met his, he knew he'd made a dire error. Those eyes were dangerous, filled with such rage he'd never encountered before.

When Sasuke marched over to him, he expected anything – _anything_, really, except for what happened in the end.

With a firm, stony hand Sasuke all but threw him against the wall, then moved the hand close to his throat and leaned so close that their breaths mingled. He didn't think he'd ever seen anything more threatening than the raven's grit teeth when the boy hissed at him. "So you couldn't resist the temptation, could you?"

Feeling helpless and frustrated, he balled his fists. "I didn't…!"

Sasuke was in no mood for listening. Faster than he could react, the boy pulled away from him as though he'd been something repulsive and started marching away. "Leave me the fuck alone already." It was amazing how someone could walk with such grace with so many people gawking and whispering – maybe rage had something to do with it.

Naruto felt like screaming, and it took all he had not to do so.

And then all the attention was on him – everyone wanted to know how he'd made the great discovery, how he'd unraveled the dark secret of Sasuke Uchiha. Far too many people appeared pleased.

Sakura wasn't one of them. Her eyes were narrowed while she glared at him. "Naruto, how could you…?!"

He grit his teeth, feeling like something inside him was about to explode. "I didn't do it, okay?! I haven't done anything!"

Only few seemed willing to believe him.

The whole situation getting a little bit too much for him, he turned and started to rush towards the same direction Sasuke had taken not much earlier.

He wasn't going to let that teme get away this time!

In the end he barged through the school's doors – only to discover that Sasuke was nowhere in sight.

He grit his teeth, feeling much worse than he should've. "Damn it…"

Already then, he had a dark feeling that it'd take long before Sasuke would give him a chance to explain this whole mess. And he couldn't understand why that realization made him want to cry with frustration and something else entirely.

Just then he heard steps, and hope lit sharply inside him. "Sasuke?" Turning around, he met a Sasuke look-alike. He swallowed thickly, blinking twice. "Sai?" _Oh __crap__…_ So things were getting from complicated to a total mess. "I… thought you weren't supposed to come back from England until after Christmas." He immediately kicked himself inwardly. So much for an ingenious opening line…

Usually Sai wasn't one to show a lot of emotions. That's why the boy's reaction caught him completely off-guard.

At first Sai simply looked at him with eyes he couldn't read. Then – much faster than he could react – the boy marched over to him. First a fist met his face, so hard that his ears rung loudly for a moment, until he was pulled into a long, deep kiss.

* * *

TBC, or…?

* * *

A/N: Uh-huh… If Naruto was confused before this…! (sweatdrops)

Awkay, because I'm in a HUGE hurry, I've gotta start tuning out right about now. (winces) **PLEASE**, please do leave a review before you go – they'd seriously come in handy, because thanks to school my next week's going to be pure hell! (groans, then glances with pleading eyes)

IN THE NEXT ONE: The chase is on as poor, confused Naruto tries to get closer to Sasuke. The blond also finds out some new facts about the Uchiha. Sai makes things difficult, as does a mystery person…

Until next time folks – I really hope ya'll all join in then!

Take care!

* * *

**Olivia (SonOfMacduff)**: My goodness, I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! (beams)

Gay sex, hmm? (chuckles) We'll see…

Gigantic thank yous for the review!

'Hope ya'll be sticking around.


	4. The One Where I Caught a Glimpse of the

A/N: Guess what, folks? I'm back – and a day early! (grins) Consider this a early Christmas present… or something…

BUT, before getting on with the story… GOSH, thank you so much for all those AMAZING reviews! (GLOMPS, and gives all kinds of present treats) I did notice that there was more of them than before. So thank you! (hugs again) As always with my ficcies, **responses to anonymous reviews** can be found from underneath the chappy.

Awkay, because I bet ya'd prefer getting on with the story… Let's rock! I REALLY hope ya'll enjoy this one.

* * *

TRACK 4 – The One Where I Caught a Glimpse of the Other You

* * *

At first Naruto was so stunned that he could only kiss Sai back, something fluttering inside his rapidly knotting stomach. Then – so fast that it made him blink – he jumped backwards, wiping his lips. His eyes darted around, filling with relief when he spotted no one. "Damn it, Sai! What are you doing? What if someone had seen us?!"

Sai's expression didn't change. "I was thought I was the more reserved one of us two." The boy then gave him a long look. "You seem… different."

He shrugged, fighting bitterness. "You've been gone for almost a year after leaving without much of a note. I've changed." He frowned, rubbing his still sore cheek. "What was that punch all about?"

Still Sai's expression didn't change. "I know my departure… left a lot to be desired. But it's been six months. Six months, and you didn't respond to my e-mails, let alone called me. I thought something had happened to you." The tone was almost like that of a news reporter.

Naruto's expression turned wry as he explored the other's barely changing one. "Glad to see the thought affected you so."

Sai took a deep breath, which was finally a sign that something was lingering below the surface. The boy searched his eyes. "Naruto… What the heck's happened to you?"

He grit his teeth, feeling a murderous headache kicking in. "A full year happened – you, for one, happened." Just then other students started emerging from the building. He took a step further from the other. "Look… I've already caused some sort of a havoc today, and I'm not planning on having another one. Besides, you can't just march right back in after leaving me like that. I need time. I'll talk to you later."

Sai quirked an eyebrow. "When's that gonna be – in ten months?"

His eyes narrowed a little, and his fists itched. Damn it, Sai was his boyfriend but if the boy wouldn't leave soon…

He was uncomfortably aware of the fact that they gained a lot of attention. Suddenly he knew much too well what the animals in a zoo must feel like.

To his relief, Sai didn't seem any more excited about the attention. The boy nodded, most likely not seeing a trace of his emotions. "I'll call you later." Somehow he wasn't surprised when Sai simply turned around and started to walk away.

"_That_ is the boyfriend you mentioned?" Kiba's voice made him jump. The boy didn't seem any less shocked. "You – and Sai? A guy who has the emotional life of a ameba?"

Sakura, who stood right next to Kiba, didn't appear quite as surprised. "I should've known when he started hanging around at the café."

He swallowed thickly, not understanding why he felt like a nervous schoolgirl all of a sudden. "So… you guys aren't disgusted?"

They both shook their heads. "Nope", Sakura confirmed. Her expression then changed. "But I'm mad at you. You should've told us sooner."

He grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess so. But… I didn't know how to. Besides…" He looked away, towards the direction to which Sai disappeared. "I don't know. It's only been a year, but I'm not that person he knew anymore. I've grown up – and it looks like he hasn't." He winced at his own words. "Oh man, that sounded so lame!" Like he was having a midlife crisis at fifteen.

Kiba nodded slowly, like one wrestling furiously with a thought and appearing very thoughtful. "Yeah, you're right. It was lame."

Sakura swatted the brunet's head, hard, then focused on him. "What are you going to do?"

He shook his head, feeling like a trapped animal. "Honestly? I don't have a flaming clue." He groaned, leaning heavily against the wall. "I can't think if he's around. And I need to think."

Kiba made a strange sound. "'Bet that's gonna be a painful process."

"About Sasuke, right?" Sakura suggested with a murderous glare towards Kiba that made the boy shiver.

There was no lying to those eyes, so he winced. "Yeah, yeah. About Sasuke, too."

Sakura was silent for a moment before she smiled somewhat cautiously. "Look… I'm sorry I accused you today – I wasn't thinking. I know you could've never done something like that."

He gave his first humorous sound in a long time. "Well, you should know. You've been my friend for five years."

Sakura smiled, then grew solemn once more. "Any traces of Sasuke?"

He looked away, feeling almost guilty for some reason. "He'd already disappeared when I came outside. I swear, he's the fastest I've ever met when it comes to disappearing."

Somehow Sakura's optimism didn't feel entirely genuine. "Mah, don't worry. You can talk to him tomorrow."

"Yeah." Unease settled into his stomach, knotting around it like a damn python. His eyes stung a little, and he had to rub them. "There's always tomorrow, right?"

* * *

_Five Days Later_

* * *

Yes, there was 'tomorrow'. And the day after that. And the day after that.

But there was no sign of Sasuke – it was like the Uchiha had disappeared from the face of the planet. And the worst part was, that only Naruto, Sakura and Kiba seemed to notice. Well, apart from an army of Sasuke-fangirls that made Naruto fear for his life. He could've never imagined that a bunch of girls could be so vindictive.

That day, he was almost dozing off while walking towards his class after a rather sleepless night, when a female-voice made him shiver. "Naruto Uzumaki, we need to have a talk."

He turned towards Tsunade with ridiculously wide, childish eyes. "I didn't do it!"

Tsunade gave him a wry look. "Now that's a record. I didn't even have to accuse you of anything." Her eyes then hardened. "Come to my office, will you?" She glanced towards where a pack of fangirls was stalking. "Or would you rather talk to them?"

Naruto had always talked a lot. But even he surprised himself with how much he managed to produce in a short amount of time. He defended himself almost like someone had been torturing him – and Tsunade was only looking at him.

When he was finally finished, out of breath, she rubbed the bridge of her nose, clearly getting a headache. "Look… Right now I don't give a damn what the heck you two were doing in that storage room. I've got a missing teenager, and over the past few days I've heard some rumors I don't like at all. I want him come back – that's all."

He blinked, completely drained from words all of a sudden. "Oh." That seemed to be his response to everything these days.

Her eyes flashing, Tsunade wrote something hastily to a piece of paper. "I'm probably making a huge mistake, but right now there's no other choice."

Curious against his will, he took the paper – and blinked. Written to the paper was nothing more than a series of four numbers. "Uh… What the heck is this?"

Tsunade's eyes were somewhat unreadable. "It's a hospital ward. I want you to go there and talk to Sasuke."

He was so close to bursting out laughing that he shuddered. "Do you seriously think he'd let me anywhere near him? We're both much happier far away from each other!"

Tsunade gave him a look that spoke far louder than any words. "Go there, Uzumaki. I told you that if you wouldn't get things sorted out you'd work them out with me – now that time's come. So go there right after school." She shrugged. "Maybe you'll learn a thing or two."

Muttering under his breath, he got up and started to march out the room like a soldier ordered to the frontline.

Somehow he felt like he'd been sent to a slaughterhouse.

-

Leaning back in her chair, Tsunade sighed heavily.

_It's the only choice_, he'd told her. _Only he'll be able to make Sasuke listen._ It't sounded like such a good plan at the time. Now, she wondered if she'd sent a lamb after a wolf.

Groaning loudly, she rubbed her face with both hands.

Where the hell was sake when she needed it?

* * *

It wasn't often Naruto was nervous. Yet that day, it took him a lot not to turn back as he hesitantly approached the hospital's ward Tsunade had adviced. He blinked twice when reading its name.

Children's ward.

He quirked an eyebrow.

_What the heck is he doing here? Torturing kids?_

With that thought he finally entered, fighting not to wince as the stench smacked him across the face.

Too many unpleasant memories filled his head at one go – memories he should've gotten over already.

"Can I help you?" The female-voice, although soft, startled him. Looking to side, he found a nurse with black hair who's nametag said 'Shizune'.

He tried to smile a little, feeling incredibly embarrassed. All of a sudden it was hard to keep in mind why he'd come. "I'm… looking for Sasuke, Sasuke Uchiha." He scratched his hair. "There's… We need to talk."

Understanding flashed in Shizune's eyes as she nodded. "Try the staff's break-room. You should be careful, though – Sasuke hasn't been in a exactly good mood lately."  
He winced inwardly. Those words didn't ease his desire to run away screaming at all. "I… guess I was expecting that." He tried to smile once more. "Thanks."

She smiled and nodded, then went off. He, on the other hand, took a deep breath before forcing himself to walk on.

Finding the right room wasn't hard. Entering _was_.

Sasuke – who'd been staring out the window – gave him a frosty look when noticing him. "What the hell are you doing here?" the raven bit out.

His grin was uncharacteristically hesitant when he closed the door and revealed a beef-sandwich he'd bought from the hospital's cafeteria. "A peace offer."

Sasuke's eyes were pure ice. "I'm a vegetarian."

He wasn't sure which urge was stronger; the one to smack Sasuke, or the one to hit his head straight at the wall. He shrugged, biting back a sound he couldn't identify. "Too bad." Putting away the sandwich he remained where he was, like he'd been observing one of the zoo's most dangerous animals. It took much too long to find the words. "You… haven't showed up to school for a while. I was worried." He was slightly surprised to discover that he was a man enough to admit that.

Sasuke gave him a sharp, almost murderous look. "I didn't exactly feel like coming."

He took a deep breath. "I didn't do it, you know?" He was surprised by how calm he managed to sound; maybe all the fussing around had drained him. He didn't dare to approach Sasuke, though. There was still a dangrous gleam in the boy's eyes. "I'd never do that to someone – that much you should know about me. You can trust me."  
Sasuke shrugged, his eyes calming down a little. "Hn." It wasn't hostile or cold, only incredibly tired; he came to a conclusion that the Uchiha hadn't had a lot of sleep lately.

Feeling that it was at least relatively safe to do so, he approached cautiously and sat beside the raven. For a long, extremely infuriating and uncomfortable moment it was silent. "So… You work here, too?"

Sasuke shrugged, not looking towards him. "A couple of days a week."

He blinked twice, looking like a baby-owl that'd dropped from its nest. So Sasuke worked in 'The Snake's Den' at night, and here during days – and still pulled grades he didn't dare to even dream of? "You're no human, right?" he blurted out with utter sincerity.

At that, he saw something no other mortal had most likely been allowed to witness. For just a moment, the corners of Sasuke's lips twitched, as though trying to create a smile. It disappeared in a blink, but still made him feel warm all over.

He opened his mouth, but was for once smart enough not to make a witty remark. If he was this damn close to reaching out at least a part of Sasuke, he was _not_ about to sabotage that.

All of a sudden Sasuke got up. Seeing his questioning expression, the raven shrugged. "My coffee-break's over."

He couldn't understand why he felt a bang of disappointment. "Oh." When he finally found his voice, Sasuke was almost out of the room. "So… Are we cool?"

Sasuke never responded. But the way the Uchiha closed the door rather soundlessly as he went told enough.

He smiled faintly, although the heavy feeling of disappointment didn't disappear.

It took a while before he left the room, feeling unnerved as members of staff came, giving him looks that stated loudly he was in the wrong place. On his way out, he saw something that felt too surreal to be real.

In one rather huge room, Sasuke was keeping an eye on a group of five tiny, most likely no older than six-years-old children. Four of them were playing excitedly while one – a cute little girl who had half of her face covered by burn-scars – picked a book, then made her way to Sasuke. When she crawled into the Uchiha's lap without asking for a permission Naruto held his breath, waiting for an explosion. It never came. Sure enough, Sasuke stiffened far more than should've been humanly possible, even gave the girl a slightly mistrusting look. But when she smiled at him, her abused face lighting up, something changed about the Uchiha although his expression remained the same. He leaned back and didn't resist when the girl seeked for a more comfortable position. The boy even let the child cuddle against his chest while starting to flip through the book. She most likely couldn't even read, but that didn't seem to be an issue; Sasuke's warmth was enough. And so the strange companions sat in what looked like a comfortable silence – the Uchiha most likely subconsiously holding the girl securely, and she visibly finding comfort from his presence. For the first time, Naruto saw Sasuke look calm.

He blinked several times, feeling detached from the reality.

There were two Sasuke's, he decided. _Had to_ be. Because it was the only option he could come up with. And he had no idea which one of them he was getting so worked up over.

* * *

About an hour later, Naruto's head was buzzing with mixed thoughts and feelings when he entered the café he worked in – fifteen minutes late, as usual – and started getting changed. He was so deep in thought that Sakura's voice made him cry out a little with startle. "You've got a visitor."

He wasn't sure why, but his heart took an extra beat with those words. He swallowed. "Sasuke?"

Sakura's expression was wry. "Try again." She nodded towards the café. "Sai's been sitting there for over twenty minutes."

He took a deep breath to keep the sound building in his throat from coming. "I'll be there in a bit."

When he stepped to the actual café's side, he quickly discovered that Sai still hadn't left. In fact he was sitting right by the counter. He groaned a little at the boy. "I thought you respected it when I said that I need time."

Sai shrugged. "I just wanted coffee." The poor boy had never been much of a liar, and this attempt was a particularly pathetic one.

With a heavy, exasperated sigh Naruto tried to get to work. That, of course, didn't work too well with Sai sitting so close, looking like a lost puppy or something like that. In the end he groaned lightly. "So… Why did you come here?"

Sai shrugged again. "I… missed this, I guess." It was said in a very thoughtful, analytical tone, as though the boy had been digging the answer from deep within. "Sitting here and talking to you, I mean. This is nice."

He just couldn't resist a tiny smile. "Mah. You're trying to make me give you a free coffee, aren't you?"

Sai didn't quite smile, but the boy's face and eyes softened.

The air was peaceful around them as he kept working and Sai started sipping the coffee he eventually did give the boy.

* * *

When getting home that day, Naruto was supposed to do his homework – on time, too, for once. Instead he found himself lay on the couch, in a very uncomfortable position that left his head hanging upside down.

There was a sound of a door opening. "Naruto? Are you home?" Soon enough he saw a pair of very familiar feet. It took a moment before Iruka spoke. "Is this some new type of joga?"

"Yeah", he stated in a somewhat clipped tone. "And it's not working."

"I see." The couch dipped a little as the man took a seat beside him. "Do you want to try sharing instead before you pass out?"

Quite slowly he struggled his way to a sitting position. All of a sudden he felt uncomfortably lot like he'd been to a shrink. "Relationships suck", was what he managed to produce in the end.

One corner of Iruka's lips twitched a little when he talked. "So I've noticed." The man's expression then turned a little more solemn. "Is this about Sasuke?"

"Yeah. Kind of. Sort of." Great. So now he'd lost control over his tongue. He leaned backwards with a loud groan. "Sai's back. And… I don't what to think anymore." He frowned and wrinkled his nose. "Everything's changing, and I hate it." His frown deepened when Iruka got up, starting to walk away. "Where are you going?"

"I think this calls for a bit of ice-cream", Iruka declared in a very knowing tone. "So… Toffee, mint or vanilla?"

_Great._ Like he hadn't been feeling enough like a teenage girl already… " Toffee", he replied without much of thinking.

Over the following two hours, they demolished the whole huge can.

* * *

_Two Days Later_

* * *

Someone had once called Naruto an overly optimistc fool. And maybe, he found himself wondering, he really was one.

Because he honestly thought that things between him and Sasuke would go back to normal after their 'talk'. Because, seriously, hadn't all misunderstandings been dealt with? Life should be able to go on.

But oh, how wrong a human can be.

If Sasuke had been distant before, there was now a mile-long stick between them. It was like he'd turned invisible in the Uchiha's eyes. And it didn't make things any easier that there was unnerving squirming inside his stomach whenever the boy was around – it was probably out of guilt or frustration, he told himself. It also looked like the boy was in a trouble of some sort; that much was clear when the Uchiha had to meet Tsunade thrice. The boy always came back from those sessions with a weird expression.

Plus, of course, Sai wasn't making things an inch easier. Because his boyfriend was persistent. Although almost every phone-call and conversation ended with a fight of some sort the other tried again, like a masochist of some sort. Day after day they hit their heads to a brickwall, and it wasn't a pleasant experience.

But if everything else in the world failed, music was the one thing linking Naruto to sanity – and Sasuke. (It was disturbing, really, how those two had become tied together recently.)

They kept playing together, mostly out of Kakashi's orders or so they told themselves. And no matter how Naruto tried to deny it, each session felt like a tiny piece of heaven to him – or a piece of hell, maybe. But oh well, he decided, you can't have a coin with only one side.

That day he once again closed his eyes and let his muscles move freely as Sasuke started to play. Yet again their musics met – embracing or attacking, was impossible to tell – creating something that sounded like a vicious scream and an invitation.

Naruto tried to open his eyes, just like people often do while diving, no matter how much it hurts. But he couldn't. He was too deep, and too scared of damaging whatever he'd gotten wrapped into. And he was disturbed to realize that he was letting that happen.

So suddenly he barely realized what was going on, the song ended.

Kakashi had a smirk on his face. "Very, very good." The man hopped down from the desk he'd been sitting on, making his way to the front of the class. "You know what? It's time to announce the song we're going to play."

Naruto found himself grinning. So they were finally getting to the business! "Well?" he ushered, impatient as always. "Which song is it?"

He sincerily hoped Kakashi wasn't looking as directly to him and Sasuke as he feared the man was. "'Inori - You Raise Me Up' from Lena Park." (1)

Completely without a reason, Naruto realized that he was blushing like a madman. "W- What?" he just managed. It took almost a full minute before his brain regained their usual capasity. "But… But is that even a violin-song?" Dear lord, he was _not_ planning on playing a love song when he had to play with Sasuke!

Kakashi shrugged. "It could be. And we're making our own version." The man turned on a CD-player. "Just listen to this. This has potential, don't you think?"

The music started. And it washed over like a tsunami.

If Naruto hadn't been blushing like crazy before, he sure did then – or actually, what he was experiencing went far past blushing. His heart found a track of its own, which didn't make him feel any better. And like that wasn't bad enough, other parts of him also seemed to be receiving an enlightment; his pants were getting dangerously tight. At that moment he _really_ wished Sasuke hadn't been sitting next to him.

_What the hell's going on?!_

He swallowed thickly. "Oh crap…"

He didn't realize he said it out loud until Sasuke gave him a weird look. "What's with you? You're all green."

He shivered, and couldn't help sensing just how close the Uchiha's warmth was. "I… think I'm going to be sick."

Sasuke's nose wrinkled a little. "Don't you dare throw up on me, you idiot."

He opened his mouth, but in the end nothing came out. And that's why he settled with leaning back in his chair, folding his arms and pulling on a very childish pout. "Hmph."

Just as the song ended Sasuke's cell-phone bleeped, which earned a very sharp look from Kakashi. Ignoring the teacher, the Uchiha took a look.

Naruto frowned at the expression that appeared to the raven's face as he read the message. "Sasuke?" he tried as quietly as he could. No reaction. "Yo, Duckbutt, what's up?"

Not replying, Sasuke got up and marched out of the classroom without asking for a permission.

Knowing that he was digging his own grave, Naruto glanced towards Kakashi. "Uh… I really need to go to a toilet."

Kakashi gave him a very, very suspicious look that aroused sounds of amusement from some of the other students. "Really, now?" The man then shrugged. "Whatever, the class is almost over, anyway."

Working his hardest to ignore the looks and whispers darted towards him, he took his schoolbag and walked out of the classroom as fast as he could, hoping from the bottom of his heart that he'd been invisible.

For the about a millionth time, he came to a conclusion that Sasuke would be his doom.

* * *

It took Naruto surprisingly long to find Sasuke – that guy could disappear like a ghost, it seemed. But then he heard two rather hushed voices from a nearby classroom no one used.

Sasuke's voice was so badly cracked by utter rage and something else that it was impossible to read anything from it. "_Don't you ever come here again in the middle of a schoolday! You already had me kicked out of one school._"

Naruto blinked with surprise at this.

Sasuke… was kicked out?!

There was a click of a tongue before a voice he couldn't identify spoke. "_Now, now, Sasuke. Mind your tongue. I didn't come to argue._" There was a tiny pause. "_Orochimaru sent me to give you your salary – it looks like you got a lot of tips._"

"_Hn._" There was no misreading the sharp tone. The pause strecthed. "_Why do I have a feeling that wasn't all you came for?_"

There was a strange, cold chuckle. "_How very sharp of you. Because the thing is, I also came for Yuki. I haven't seen that thing in ages, and I want my share._"

There was a sound Naruto couldn't identify. "_Don't ever talk about him like he's a possession, do you hear me?_"

"_Whatever. Just remember this – I can still reveal your dirty little secrets whenever I like. I think you already know that much._" Someone turned, most likely starting to walk away. "_Tell Yuki dad said 'hi', will you?_" And then, before he had the time to hide himself, a person stepped out of the room. It was a slightly older boy with eyeglasses and tied up, half-long gray hair. The boy arched an eyebrow when seeing him, then created a clearly faked pleasant smile and walked right by without saying a word.

For a moment he simply stared at the stranger's disappearing back, until he was finally coherent enough to peer into the room. Sasuke was sitting there, stiff and still as a statue, staring out the window with an unreadable expression.

He swallowed thickly, wondering if he was risking his life, then spoke somewhat cautiously. "Sasuke?"

The Uchiha's onyx eyes were filled with something primal when the boy looked at him. "How much did you hear?"

He was silent for a moment, surprised by that question. What came out in the end wasn't what he'd planned. "Who's Yuki?"

That affected like a weapon's hit. Faster than he could blink Sasuke was up, and marched past him without sneaking a glance his way. Being the masochist he was, he followed and found them making their way out of the building. There was a rather fancy black car waiting for Sasuke.

His unhealthily stubborn nature lifting its head once more, he spoke. "Hey, don't you dare run away from me – I want answers, that's all!"

Sasuke's eyes were filled with something almost wild when they found his. "How many fucking times do I have to tell you to leave me alone? I don't need your pity."

He took a deep breath, fighting the barely controllable urge to rip the other's head off. "I'm not pitying you – I'm trying to _help_ you. So please, let me, will you?"

For the briefest of moments Sasuke stood absolutely still, looking like a trapped animal.

And just then, at the very worst moment, he heard Sai's voice. "Naruto." There was a demanding look on the boy's face. "Are you ready to go?"

Sasuke was quick to take this opportunity. Before he could do more than open his mouth the raven was in the car and it speeded off, leaving him into a thick cloud of gasoline.

Sai stood beside him with a frown. "What was that about?"

A part of him wanted nothing more than to scream at Sai showing up at the worst possible moment. But in the end he controlled his tongue – he didn't feel like having another confrontation. Besides, he felt exhausted. Sasuke was rapidly turning him into a eighty-year-old. Sighing heavily, he looked towards the direction to which the car had disappeared. "Honestly? I don't have a clue."

-

There was a look of deep distaste on Madara Uchiha's face as he looked at Sasuke, particularly noting the raven's clothes. "Care to explain what this ridiculous charade is all about?"

Sasuke looked away with folded arms and sharp eyes, focusing on the road. "Nothing, uncle." It was nothing more than a hiss. "I'm just trying to fool myself."

* * *

TBC, right?

* * *

A/N: Uh-huh, and the mess keeps getting bigger…! (gulps) But geez, a nurse's aid of some sort and a stripper – Sasuke sure is busy! (sweatdrops)

I've got TWO exams tomorrow, so I've really gotta start heading for bed. (groans) **PLEASE**, do leave a review before heading off – I'd really love to hear your opinions! (gives HUGE puppy's eyes)

IN THE NEXT ONE: As the story reaches halfway, Naruto learns a couple of more huge secrets about Sasuke. What decisions will he make? Also, a new face shows up.

SIX MORE CHAPTER SO GO, FOLKS!

Until next time – I really hope I'll c ya all then!

Take care!

* * *

**Anon-o-me**: Man, you can't even imagine how glad I am to hear you've enjoyed the story thus far, even though it's twisted your emotions! (jumps around with joy)

Gigantic thank yous for the review!  
I REALLY hope ya'll stay on board for more.

-

**Alexandra dowling**: It makes me so happy to hear that, ya know? (grins from ear to ear)

Colossal thank yous for the review!

'Hope ya'll be staying tuned.

-

**RainingBitch**: GOSH, how happy I am to hear that! (dances with joy)

Mega-sized thank yous for the review!

I really hope ya'll keep looking forward for more.

* * *

1) Here are the translated lyrics for that song – times two . (I thin I prefer the first one.) What can I say? I absolutely love this song. (grins sheepishly) Plus, I think it kind of fits…

/ **_In the depths of my teared-up eyes_**

**_Is your unchanging figure_**

**_"Where will the world continue to?"_**

**_Words from the days that have ceased_**

**_Even in freezing, stormy nights_**

**_I will continue to the yet unseen you_**

**_Please tell me, oh winds that sail across the ocean_**

**_That prayers will traverse time_**

**_At the far end of the horizon_**

**_Lies an episode of a sleeping planet_**

**_"There is no night without dawning" you said_**

**_Laughing at the sins of that day_** /

/ **_I embrace the quivering you_**

**_Looking up at the unreachable empty sky_**

**_A bell echoing through the darkness can be heard_**

**_The road leading to you is far_**

**_Even in freezing, stormy nights_**

**_I will continue to the yet unseen you_**

**_Please tell me, oh winds that sail across the ocean_**

**_That prayers will traverse time_**

**_Even in freezing, stormy nights_**

**_I will continue to the yet unseen you_**

**_Please tell me, oh winds that sail across the ocean_**

**_That prayers will traverse time_** /

/ **_Prayers will traverse time_** /

-

'_In the depths of my tear-filled eyes,__Is your everlasting beauty.__"How far does the world go?"_

_Those words from our bygone days._

_Even on those freezing, stormy nights,__Though you are still out of sight, I continue on.__Please tell me, ocean-crossing winds,_

_That my prayers will pass through time._

_Beyond the misty horizons,__Stars are fabled to lie.__"Dawn will surely follow every night."_

_The sins of my past laughs._

_I try to embrace you trembling with uncertainty,__But I look up at the empty sky beyond reach.__I hear the chime that illuminates darkness,_

_Showing me that the path to you is still far._

_Even on those freezing, stormy nights,__Though you are still out of sight, I continue on.__Please tell me, ocean-crossing winds,_

_That my prayers will pass through time._

_Even on those freezing, stormy nights,__Though you are still out of sight, I continue on.__Please tell me, ocean-crossing winds,_

_That my prayers will pass through time._

_My prayers will pass through time._'


	5. The One Where We Swept Each Other off Ou

A/N: Hiya there, folks – I'm back! (grins)

First off, of course… Thank you from the bottom of my heart for those fantastic reviews! (HUGS) They're what keeps this story going, ya know? So thank you! (hugs again) As always with my ficcies, **responses to anonymous reviews** can be found from underneath the chappy.

Awkay, because I bet you'd rather read the actual fic than my babblings, let's get going! (rubs hands together, then swallows nervously) I really, REALLY hope ya'll have a nice ride with this one.

* * *

TRACK 5 – The One Where We Swept Each Other off Our Feet

* * *

Unlike most people assumed, Naruto had always kind of loved mornings – there was something calming and mystical about watching a new day awakening. This morning was a particularly good one.

When feeling the warmth pressed against him he grinned, like a wolf that'd successfully caught the most challenging of preys. Taking a deep breath, he inhaled the other's scent that made him feel contented.

Yup, he decided. If this wasn't heaven, he didn't know what was.

"I knew you were awake."

He opened his eyes, and grinned again a bit when seeing the being on the other side of the bed. Sasuke looked back with somewhat stormy eyes, as though trying to read his mind.

"What are you thinking of?" the raven inquired in the end, apparently getting bored of the lazy silence.

He shrugged, pulling the other just a little bit closer. "Nothing much. This is just… nice, that's all – being like this."

Sasuke's face softened just a little bit before the Uchiha buried his head into the crook in his neck. "Hn."

He gave something close to a pout, poking the other's head with his finger. "Hey, you're not going back to sleep, are you?"

"It's still early, idiot", the Uchiha muttered in a voice he could barely hear. "You, though… You really should wake up."

Obediently, his eyes flew open. Sasuke's scent and touch were gone. And at that moment his alarm-clock came to life uncomfortably loudly. He groaned and slammed the poor thing into silence so hard that it almost broke down, then buried his face to his hands.

Great. So now Sasuke had sneaked into his dreams as well?

He almost dozed off again until he heard his cell-phone bleeping. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt when he noticed that there was a message from Sai.

'_Meet me at Ichiraku's today?_'

He felt like smiling a bit for some reason. Curt and formal – very Sai-like. It was good to see that some things in the world didn't change. His expression soon fell, though.

Yeah, too bad that the one thing that wouldn't change was the one thing that should've.

In the spur of the moment, he sent a 'Yes, we need to talk'. He couldn't play a coward any longer – one day or another, he'd have to sort things out with Sai. Today was good as any; besides, the day was already more or less messed up by that stupid dream.

It took much longer than it should've to get up. When he finally made it out of the bed and downstairs, he quirked an eyebrow when seeing how Iruka practically pushed someone out the door of the house and closed it rapidly. "What are you doing?"

He'd never seen Iruka go as red as the man did then. The grown man looked like a kid ambushed emptying a cookie-jar. "I… was just getting the mail."

His expression was far from convinced. "Yeah, sure…" With that he started to head towards the kitchen. "Uhm… Iruka, one thing? You really should hide that hickey the 'mailman' gave you – it looks nasty."

* * *

All morning Naruto's head was full of Sai and the stupid dream he'd had – so full, that he couldn't focus on classes, and almost earned himself detention. Maybe that's why he thought he was hallucinating when lunch-time arrived, and he saw Sasuke sitting right outside the school as he sat to eat.

He blinked twice. "What's he doing out there?"

Sakura shook her head. "I don't know. He sits out there every day – I've never seen him eating here inside with the rest of us."

Kiba shrugged, obviously not giving a damn, and focused on his food. "Who cares? It's the Uchiha. If he wants to sulk out there alone, why don't we let him? He'll come inside when he's done."

Naruto couldn't really focus on what his friend was saying, for all he could see was Sasuke. The boy didn't seem lonely, far from it, but it just wasn't in his nature to abandon people into solitude.

Following a sudden impulse, he got up and took his lunch. _Stupid care instinct…_ "I'll see you guys later."

Sakura quirked an eyebrow. "What are you planning?"

"I have no idea. My own sudden death, I guess." With a tiny wave he started to walk away. "If you haven't seen me in two hours, call the police, okay?"

-

Kiba gave Sakura a somewhat curious look. "Am I missing something?"

She shrugged, creating a faked look of innocence. "Nah, nothing much." She then started to lead him away roughly. "Now let's go and leave those two alone."

-

By the doorway Naruto found himself pausing for a moment although he wasn't sure why.

Sasuke looked… surprisingly calm when sitting there all alone, appearing deep in thought. He wasn't sure if he dared to endanger that, if he was making a big mistake – and, of course, if he was risking his very life.

Despite those doubts, his feet led him forward.

For the about hundreth time since meeting Sasuke, Naruto decided that he was definitely a masochist as he approached the raven.

Sasuke, of course, immediately gave him a suspicious look, which he tried to counter with a grin. "Hey. What are you doing sitting out here?"

The Uchiha looked away. "Trying to get some peace and quiet."

He felt like rolling his eyes. Boy, was Sasuke making him feel welcomed… He, however, didn't let that get to him. Instead he approached still, although his teeth were chattering. "Damn it, it's freezing out here!"

Sasuke gave him a dry look. "Then what the hell are you doing here?"

He shrugged, fearlessly taking a seat beside the Uchiha. "I'm an idiot. Haven't you figured out that much by now?"

Sasuke gave him a long, evaluating look. And for the first time he saw the raven's eyes something close to warm. "Hn."

With that they focused on eating. At least for a moment. Because he wasn't as skilled as Sasuke when it came to balancing all the food-items in his hands. And before he knew it his drink was all over him.

He growled darkly, feeling uncomfortably like a five-year-old. "Great…"

All of a sudden a pile of napkins was handed towards him.

He blinked twice with surprise. "Huh?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, one corner of his lips twitching. "Clean yourself up, will you?"

"Oh!" He grinned sheepishly. "Thanks."

With that something close to peacefullness fell upon them, just about strong enough to isolate them from the rest of the world.

And suddenly Naruto found it very hard to focus on his food.

-

Not all that far away, Tsunade was looking at the couple. A tiny smile appeared to her lips.

_Who would've thought. He was right after all._

With that thought she turned and walked away.

* * *

Naruto had had a weird feeling in his chest and stomach since his lunch with Sasuke, and it only grew as he walked towards Ichiraku. It grew to such extend, that he didn't have any idea how he'd be able to look at Sai in the eye.

As usual, Sai was early. When he showed up the boy was already there, leaning against the wall like he'd been waiting for a long time. "You're late", were the boy's first words.

He stopped some steps away, more or less deliberately keeping his distance. "I… did some thinking." He wondered if these situations were always this damn awkward. Their gazes met until Sai looked away. "About us."

The silence stretched, gained a heavy meaning.

"Naruto…" When Sai met his eyes, he saw such an amount of emotions that it had him taken aback. It was like he'd been looking at a stranger. "Do you even want us to be together anymore?" It wasn't filled with accusation and anger – it was just like a question amongst millions of others. But he still caught the dangerous edge.

He could've lied, of course – for the longest moment he felt very, very tempted to do so. But his lips made the decision for him. "I… don't know." He took a deep breath, feeling like he'd been a fish in a much too tiny bowl. "That's the problem."

Sai frowned, appearing genuinely confused.

The silence stretched until he finally found the will and strength to speak out more. "You can't just run away for almost a year and then come back like nothing had ever happened. I need some time to think, okay? You need to give me space."

Sai appeared even more confused than before. "The last time I took distance it got you upset."

It was a long time from the last time he'd felt as close to punching someone. "You dumped me – you took off to the other side of the world with just a note left behind! Do you have any idea how that felt?!"

Sai's expression was something he'd never seen before. "I didn't know what else to do. I never know what to do with you anymore." And then he recognized that look. He'd seen it before, a week before Sai's departure.

A wry look appeared to his face as something close to exhaustion filled him. "You can go, okay?"

Sai didn't waste a second. Before he could blink the boy turned around and all but dashed away, nearly leaving skeet marks to the ground.

And he felt much worse than he should've as he folded his arms and turned around, without a clue of where he was headed.

* * *

In the end Naruto found himself from Jiraiya's café, which was wonderfully silent at such late hour. Jiraiya knew him well enough not to try and pry anything he didn't want to share. In the end they sat together at the back of the café, drinking some tea in silence that was uncharacteristic to them both. During the following hour, Naruto started feeling a little bit less like a horrible person. He was even able to think once more.

All of a sudden he noticed something hanging on a wall, almost hidden by a shelf – it was a picture, he discovered. The photograph was about Jiraiya, in one of those school's group-pictures of teachers. Tsunade was also in the photo along with several former teachers he didn't recognize.

Curiosity taking room from other emotions for a while, he got up and took the picture, then sat down again to give the item a proper look. "Damn… I can't believe I haven't noticed this before!" He then grinned. "This must've been taken ages ago – look at Tsunade's hair!"

"Hey!" Jiraiya exclaimed with a half-faked insulted tone, snatching the picture from him. "I'm not _that_ old."

"Whatever." He then mused for a moment. "I didn't know you knew her. I never knew you were a teacher, either." Which was odd. He'd first met Jiraiya when he was six and tried to steal some delicasies from the man's café. He'd soon found out that the older man had been a friend of his parents as well as his godfather. They'd been something close to friends since, and he'd honestly thought he knew everything about Jiraiya.

"Well, I was, for quite some time." Jiraiya seemed almost hesitant for a moment. "I quit around when your father died."

He gulped, feeling heavy and slightly cold. "Oh." His tone was colder than he'd intended.

Jiraiya's expression turned into a slightly saddened one. "He really did love you, Naruto. Damn, ever since he found out about you he wouldn't stop talking about you." The man sighed soundlessly. "I wish you'd gotten to know that man."

He gave a lopsided, mirthless smile. "That's the problem. I never will." Deciding that he'd had enough of this conversation, he jumped up from his chair and started getting dressed. "I'll see you next week, right?"

He tried to ignore how bad Jiraiya's discouraged, almost disappointed expression made him feel. "Yeah. See you next week."

With that he left as fast he could, trying to ignore how his eyes stung.

It was official, he decided as he walked home in a ridiculously heavy, icy rain. This day sucked big time.

* * *

_Three Days Later_

* * *

After basically breaking up with Sai, Naruto expected a turmoil of emotions. That's why he was surprised when such didn't come. He felt a lot, of course, but most likely not as much as he should've. It made things a bit easier that Sai had vanished again, although the fact also frustrated him and hurt. He didn't miss being with Sai, but he definitely missed the boy's friendship.

Or maybe, he didn't feel quite like he should've because his mind was constantly messed around by something else.

That day, he once again had P.E. with Sasuke. Like that hadn't been bad enough they had karate – and he was once again paired up with Sasuke.

The Uchiha didn't seem any more pleased when finding out about the arrangement. "You've gotta be kidding me", the raven scoffed.

He folded his arms and lifted his chin. "What? You aren't scared, are you?" He knew he was pushing it, but he couldn't help himself when all the frustration he'd gathered lately bubbled over.

Sasuke's eyes flashed. "I'd never be scared of a loser like you."

And so it began.

He wasn't sure which one of them was leading as they danced around each other, eagerly searching for open points so they could strike. Sasuke's eyes gleamed something close to red in the room's dim light, and for some reason that sight seemed to please some pretty embarrassing parts of him. His skin tingled, and he licked his lips with anticipation. His whole body was filled with tension that begged to be released. "C'mon already!" he barked out huskily in the end, unable to stand it anymore.

And Sasuke came, much before he could even bat an eyelash to prepare himself. (1) He sensed movement and pressure, then hit the room's hard, cool floor. Sasuke hovered above him, looking perfectly ready to strike again. "You're hopeless", the raven declared in a very unimpressed tone, expressing clearly that in the boy's opinion he wasn't worth the other's time.

A very childish expression appeared to his face as he struggled up. "Well at least I'm not the one who dresses up as a girl", he hissed, so that only the raven heard.

And then Sasuke reacted. Before he realized what was happening he met a hit that was harder than anything he'd faced before. He stumbled backwards, then thumped heavily and ungracefully to his ass.

Growling loudly, he brought a hand to his sore face. "What the heck is it with you always hitting me?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed like those of a wild beast's. "And what is it with you always harassing me?!"

He already moved to strike back until Asuma's voice cut his intentions short. "Enough with both of you!" The man was looking at them with extreme irritation, his arms folded. "I'm not watching you two beating each other to bloodied heeps. You'll be going for a jog, right now. Maybe that'll cool you down."

Naruto swallowed thickly, having some rather dark fears. "How long?"

Asuma seemed to enjoy his fear a little too much. "Five kilometres."

Sasuke only groaned, he whined loudly. "Oh man…!"

"I suggest you get going", Asuma pointed out. "Or would you rather spend the rest of the day here?"

Sasuke accepted his fate with a gloomy expression and silence, whereas Naruto kept muttering darkly under his breath all the way until they were out of the building. Naruto winced when cold autumn air slapped him across the face.

He groaned and found himself shivering. "Fantastic."

Sasuke snorted while starting to jog, with him following close. "This is your damn fault, moron. So shut up."

His eyes narrowed, and he was extremely annoyed to notice that he was already breathing heavily, and his heart was beating fast. He couldn't be in a this bad shape! "You shut up, bastard!"

Sasuke made a sound he couldn't identify, starting to run faster. His usual stubborn nature kicking in, he grit his teeth and picked up pace. He wasn't about to lose this one!

He couldn't keep track on how long they ran, the brisk air stinging his lungs so that breathing felt uncomfortable and brough the taste of blood to his mouth. Neither was willing to give in, although going on was almost impossible.

Then, just as Naruto thought he couldn't take it anymore, their journey ended. He managed to catch Sasuke just as the raven swayed dangerously. "Woah!" He panted heavily, and the touch of the other boy's skin didn't make breathing any easier. "What's wrong?"

"I…", the Uchiha panted with a fiercely irritated expression. "… think I just twisted my damn ankle."

He winced. "Ouch."

Just then his hand slipped and moved a little higher, as though it'd been a fate of some sort. And that's when he felt it; a clear line of a thick layer of bandages. Sasuke… had bandages wrapped around his whole chest.

His eyes flew slightly wider before they met Sasuke's. "What the…?!"

Sasuke looked at him with feral, nearly animalistic eyes, and it wasn't until then he noticed how laboured and off the other's breathing sounded.

_Asthma!_, his mind screamed all of a sudden.

And then the Uchiha collapsed into his arms.

* * *

Naruto didn't remember much about the following hours. Later on he was revealed that it was a huge chore to coax him away from Sasuke – this piece of information made him want to bury his head into the ground. But he did remember the waiting, which was about to drive him insane.

He didn't come out of his stupor until he noticed a rather worn, young female nurse approaching him. He was standing up in a flash. "How is he?"

The nurse gave him a slightly mistrusting look. "And you would be…?"

He swallowed thickly. Oh man, did she have to ask that…? "I'm… a friend, of Sasuke's – the one who brought him in. Is he okay?"

The nurse looked at him funnily. "Sasuke's airways were pretty badly blocked, but there's no danger anymore. She's awake, though groggy from medication and oxygen deprivation."

_She…?!_ He had to process everything for a very long moment, because nothing in the world made sense in a long time. He gawked at the nurse like a fish tossed to a dry land. "Sasuke… is a girl?" Was that pathetic voice really his?

The nurse looked at him as though he'd just said the stupidest thing in the world. "Look, it's pretty busy around here. Are you just going to stand there, or do you want to go and see Sasuke?"

He nodded somewhat numbly, not managing to convince himself into talking.

The nurse nodded back, appearing pleased to get rid of him. "Room 14. And a word of warning; you better be gone in ten minutes. She doesn't need any further stress at the moment." So saying she walked away and disappeared into room 8.

He stood still for what felt like ages, unable to function although he felt stupid and out of place. When he finally did move, his motions were slow and unsteady. Some people he passed by gave him long looks, most likely wondering if he was drunk or in need of immediate medical attetion.

Sasuke's room was slightly bigger than he'd expected, meant for two patients. It startled him a little to see how tired and pale the Uchiha looked, as well as to notice the oxygen-whiskers the raven was attached to.

He wasn't sure how long he'd stood there until Sasuke noticed his presence, and gave him a look he just couldn't read in his current condition.

He tried smiling, although everything inside him was a pathetic, twirling mess. "Um… Hey." Oh – he could talk? That was more than he'd expected. He managed to convince himself into taking a couple of steps closer. "How… are you feeling?"

Sasuke reacted with a barely visible shrug, never turning to look his way. It wasn't until at that moment, as he watched the Uchiha sitting in the sunlight, he realized. Pale, smooth skin, those soft features and long eyelashes… And breasts, which were now visible. He felt like kicking himself.

_I really am a moron, aren't I?_

Sasuke's voice, a touch more feminine than the one he'd grown used to, ushered him out of those thoughts. The raven still wasn't looking at him. "You know, don't you? They told you."

He shrugged. "They assumed I already knew." He gave the Uchiha a long, meaningful look the other most likely sensed. "You _should've_ told me. What the heck is all this pretending about, anyway?" He knew he was harsh, but he'd been up for almost a day straight, and he was still wrestling with the mass spinning around his head. And he was busy with trying not to stare at the Uchiha's breasts. The situation was just too uncomfortable and surreal.

Finally, Sasuke made eye-contact. Not that he could've read much from those onyx pools. "Why would you care?"

His mouth opened – for what, he had no idea – but for some reason he didn't have the courage to voice the thoughts even to himself. And so he shut his mouth again while folding his arms.

Why did Sasuke have to be so damn good at getting him all confused?

In the end he sighed heavily. "You can be such a pain sometimes." He then frowned, rubbing his still sore face. "Are you sure you're a girl? Because you sure don't punch like one."  
He honestly couldn't tell if Sasuke's look was something closer to a smile or a glare. But he did realize that he thought the Uchiha looked quite pretty at the moment. And that thought startled him to the point of shuddering. "I shouldn't. My father made me take karate lessons since I was five."

It can only be guessed what would've happened or been said if the room's door hadn't been opened just then. In came a man who looked quite a bit like Sasuke, carrying a most likely one-year-old boy with an irritated expression. The child was crying heartbreakingly.

Sasuke frowned. "Yuki?" The raven's eyes flashed dangerously. "Madara, what the hell did you do to him?"

The older man appeared even further irritated. "He won't stop crying." The man all but threw the child into Sasuke's arms. "Make him shut up. He's your responsibility, remember?"

Once again, Naruto got to witness how Sasuke's whole presence changed, and this time the changes were even clearer than when he'd seen the Uchiha with those children. The raven didn't resist when the child snuggled as close as possible and held on tightly, only wrapped a pair of arms around the tiny one. "Hey, what are you crying for? Everything's okay." Naruto had never heard Sasuke's voice as soft as it was then, and the sound didn't seem to fit into the Uchiha's mouth.

And then, just as Naruto thought that the situation couldn't get any weirder, Yuki spoke, his tiny face buried to Sasuke's shoulder. "Mamma."

At that moment Naruto found himself crashlanding to the chair that'd mercifully appeared behind him.

* * *

TBC, un.

* * *

1) To those wondering, yup – all choices of words were deliberate. (grins cheekily) What can I say? I've got a dirty mind.

* * *

A/N: Uh-huh… A girl AND a mommy. (sweatdrops) (I REALLY hope ya guys aren't too taken aback by that twist. (gulps nervously)) Now there's a bit for Naruto to digest!

So, whadda ya say? One half of the story is now officially done. Do you want to see the other half as well?

**PLEASE**, do leave a note to let me know your thoughts – it'd seriously mean the world! (gives puppy's eyes) Awww, c'mon – show some Christmas spirit! I can pribe you with cookies…

IN THE NEXT ONE would be seen following: After the recent events, Naruto's very, very confused. After a drunken birthday party he finds himself from a even more embarrassing situation. He also gets a taste of Sasuke's family – as well as his own. In the middle of the spin a long gone character returns to Konoha. And Sai isn't as out of the picture as Naruto thinks…

Until next time – which which story and when ever that shall be! And in case we won't chat again until then, **happy holidays to each and every single one of you**!

Be good!

* * *

**alexandra dowling**: Yosh – hearing that makes me VERY happy! (grins from ear to ear)

Ah, as for updates! I TRY TO update every week. I'm such an impatient person that I HATE making people wait. (grins)

Monumental thank yous for the review!

'Hope ya'll be sticking around for the rest.


	6. The One Where It Got a Little Out of Con

A/N: Hiya there! Mah, I'm so sorry that this update is a little late, but I was banned from computer almost all Christmas. (pouts) BUT, now I'm finally back! (grins)

Heh, first things first, of course. MAN, thank you so much for all those absolutely fantastic reviews – once again there were more of those than for the last chapter! THANK YOU! You seriously know how to keep an author going. (beams, and GLOMPS)

Awkay, because I've already kept you waiting, let's go! I REALLY hope this'll be a good ride. (gulps nervously)

* * *

TRACK 6 – The One Where It Got a Little Out of Control

* * *

At first Naruto simply stared at the sight unfolding before his very eyes – the surreal image of Sasuke holding a tiny child, _her_ son. And suddenly it took the best of him; it was like a part of his brain had shut down. That's why he spun around and dashed out.

Sakura and Kiba both stared at him with wide eyes. "What?!" the brunet exclaimed in the end.

He winced at the loud voice, and glanced around nervously. Everyone in the café was staring at them. "Shut up, okay? I don't want the whole world to know!"

Kiba blinked thrice, clearly fighting to understand. "So… Sasuke's a girl?"

He nodded numbly, and shivered. That thought felt surreal to him, too.

"And… She's got a kid?" Sakura all but piped out.

He nodded again, feeling as messed up as he had several hours earlier. He was still far more worked up by this than he should've been, he discovered. So the world still wasn't making any sense.

"Uh-huh…", Kiba muttered, pretty much summing up what they were all thinking about.

Silence lingered for a very long moment as they all tried to absorb this new information. In the end Sakura recovered the fastest and looked at him. "What are you going to do?"

He shook his head, feeling extremely old and tired all of a sudden. "Honestly? I don't have a clue. I'm still waiting for someone to show up and tell me that this is some sort of a joke." He then winced. "Don't tell anyone about this, okay? Sasuke would hang me by my balls if you did." Just then he noticed that a customer was looking at him expectantly. He glanced towards his friends. "I'll talk to you later." With that he walked away.

-

Watching Naruto walk away, Kiba spoke. "So… You knew Sasuke was a girl?"

"Yeah, I kind of figured it out when seeing her in the girl's bathroom." The pinkette took a deep breath. "I just hope that Naruto won't screw this one up – I don't think either one of them could take it."

Silence fell upon them, apart from Kiba's loud chewing as the boy started eating a large muffin.

* * *

_One Week Later_

* * *

It was a slow process, but in the end Naruto found himself getting over the first shock. The hardest part, however, turned out to be getting to Sasuke for a proper talk – the Uchiha could be a pain to catch when h… eh, _she_ – as he corrected himself – wanted to be. It seemed that he'd screwed up pretty royally when running away, and he wondered if he'd ever get a chance to fix this one.

That day, however, he got a tiny miracle.

He was just walking towards a classroom deep in thought when he heard someone singing.

He frowned, realizing that he'd never heard another voice like this before.

Curiosity taking the best of him once again, he walked up to the door and sneaked into the classroom to get a better look. What he found made him blink several times.

In the room was none other than Sasuke, who was singing softly, focused completely on the melody and the paper that lay on the desk before the raven. The Uchiha's eyes were more alive than anything he'd ever seen before. And he couldn't help breaking into a smile.

He was hesitant to interfere at first – after all, even he understood that this was something very private – but in the end he couldn't control himself. The music was softer than usual as he took his guitar and started to play. Sasuke shuddered when hearing the music, but didn't stop singing. Apparently this new tide had already taken a firm hold of them both.

It was very different from when they'd played together – this joined music held something much more private and intimate, because he was most likely the first person ever hearing Sasuke sing. Somehow this was also much better.

Sasuke's smooth, low voice blended well with their music, as though it'd been the one piece the song had been missing. Once again the rest of the world disappeared as they created one of their own, shifted into their private reality.

And then, in just a breath, it was over. He blinked twice when opening the eyes he hadn't realized closing.

Sasuke gave him a strange look. "What are you looking at?"

His mouth opened unintelligently for a couple of time before he managed to squeeze out at least a tiny hint of a voice. "I… didn't know you can sing."

Sasuke shrugged and started putting away the papers on the desk. "I don't do singing. No one was supposed to hear me."

He shrugged. "Well, you know me. I always stick my nose into stuff like this."

This almost coaxed a smile out of Sasuke – he could sense it so clearly that it made him feel warm all over.

And just then, of course, an interruption had to appear. Schoolbell rang, and other students appeared into the room. He barely noticed them.

Because for the first time he wanted to learn to know Sasuke better. And he didn't have a clue why or how.

* * *

_Six Days Later_

* * *

Being called to the principal's office wasn't a new experience for Naruto. That's why he was more bored and irritated than anything else as he sat waiting outside Tsunade's door.

He woke up from his thoughts when hearing steps, and turned his gaze. He blinked twice when finding Sasuke. "What are you doing here?" he blurted out.

Sasuke's expression was gloomy as the raven slumped to the chair beside his. "What the heck do you think? Tsunade called me over." The Uchiha's eyes narrowed a little. "Now shut up, will you? I've got a headache."

It was around then he realized how tired Sasuke looked; the raven was even paler than usual, and there were dark circles around both of the teen's eyes. It looked like the other hadn't slept in a decade.

He frowned, observing the raven with his gaze. "Are you okay?"

Sasuke made a rather irritated sound, but for once the emotion wasn't directed towards him. "Yuki's got a damn stomach flue. I was up most of the night."

He didn't know why those words made him feel… weird all over. "Oh." Then, feeling that he needed to say more, he added. "I hope he gets better soon."

Sasuke's tired eyes softened just a little bit. "Hn."

All of a sudden he felt this strange, almost uncontrollable urge to take Sasuke's hand, even if for just a moment. The feeling was so unexpected that he shuddered a little.

He had no control over his own reactions anymore. And it irritated him beyond all belief.

"Ah, you two are both here. Good." Tsunade's voice startled him so that he jumped. The woman motioned them to come to her office. "Come in, will you? I don't have all day."

Far from happy to do so they obeyed, and sat down to the chairs she'd put there for them like two prisoners preparing for an execution.

Tsunade sat down as well, and let the silence stretch before speaking. "So… I've been thinking about what to do with you two, especially after Asuma told me that you fought again during his class. And I've come to a solution." Her eyes gleamed dangerously. "Naruto, your grades are less than desirable – I'm sure we both know that. And that's why I've decided that as from now, Sasuke will be your tutor."

They both gawked at her for several moments. "What?!" he cried out in the end.

Tsunade gave him a dry look. "You heard me perfectly." She leaned forward, like some animal prepared for an an attack. "Now listen to me. You two will work together. And if there are any – I mean _any_ – complications, I will come up with something much harsher. Understood?"

He felt like a dead man walking as he nodded, got up slowly – not trusting his legs – and walked out of the room.

He never noticed that Sasuke stayed behind, because Tsunade wanted to talk to the Uchiha.

* * *

_Several Weeks Later_

* * *

Weeks flashed by, even months changed. And the more time Naruto spent with Sasuke – more or less out of their own free will – the more tiny details he learned.

Sasuke seemed to have this weird fixation towards tomatoes; heck, the Uchiha seemed to be addicted to those things. Animals also appeared to have a special spot in the raven's heart – it shocked him at first to see that the other teen could be so… incredibly kind towards other living beings. It also appeared that Sasuke could speak altogether five foreign languages. This became revealed by all the long, heart-filled and colorful insults the Uchiha hissed at him. He also learned the hard way that Sasuke was _not_ a morning person – forgetting this got him all but beaten up far more times than he cared to count.

But all in all, they were doing much better than he'd dared to expect – he could almost say that they were performing tiny miracles. Because his grades were getting better, little by little. And as for Sasuke's company… He couldn't understand why he enjoyed it so much. He was definitely a mashochist.

That late afternoon was surprisingly quiet and calm as they sat in Jiraiya's café and tried to hammer some math into his thick skull.

At some point Sasuke's face turned something close to disbelieving. "Honestly, you moron…! This isn't _that_ hard!"

He all but glared at the raven. "Meh, maybe not for your super brain!" He shrugged and folded his arms, even lifted his chin a little. "So okay. Maybe I'm not mathematically intelligent."

Sasuke rolled eyes and muttered something he didn't even want to hear or understand.

It was around then he realized that aside teaching him, there was something else Sasuke was focusing on – there was a piece of paper before the raven, and the Uchiha seemed to be scetching something. Leaning forward to catch a glimpse, he blinked. Sasuke was creating a very, very beautiful drawing that represented a hawk.

So Sasuke was a good artist, too?

Seeing what he was doing, Sasuke gave him a loudly speaking look. "What? Yuki likes these."

He blinked twice. "You're… a weird thing."

He could've sworn that almost earned him a smile, although Sasuke rolled eyes once again.

Just then he sensed that they weren't alone anymore. Looking to side, he found himself blushing for some reason when discovering that Jiraiya was watching them with a strange expression.

Also noticing that they had audience, Sasuke quickly gathered together her belongings and all but jumped up. "I've gotta go – I should be working in a few hours, and I want to see Yuki before that."

He frowned, feeling something close to jealous all of a sudden. "It's _that_ job, right?"

Sasuke gave him a threatening look. "Not another word, idiot", the raven all but hissed, then turned rather sharply. "See you tomorrow." With that the Uchiha was gone.

Jiraiya's voice caught him off guard. "You know… For a while you two looked so much like your parents that it gave me chills."

His eyes narrowed a little despite himself, and his fists balled. "Don't talk about them, okay? Please."

"No." Jiraiya's voice was so firm – almost harsh – that he just had to look at the man. The other looked back with eyes he'd never seen before. "I'm done watching you hurt every single time someone mentions your parents. And your father was like a son to me. I don't want to hear you talk about him like that – I think it's time you hear the full story."

He frowned. "What full story?"

Jiraiya took a deep breath and folded his arms. The man refused to meet his gaze. "Your mother died at childbirth, I'm sure you know that much. Damn it, you have no idea how much she would've wanted to see you. And your father… was a police officer. One day, some jackass decided that it was a good idea to rob a grocery story. Your father was sent there. I was also there." The man gulped thickly; whatever was to come was obviously hard to process. "He… got shot. He died into my arms." The man closed his eyes. "Before his death… he only talked about you. He was so very worried about you – his thoughts were with you until his final breath." The man looked at him sternly. "He loved you, with every fibre of his being. So it kills me that you've decided to hate him."

He didn't know what to say – if there even were words for such a situation. And in the end he chose to flee. "I've… gotta go. Shikamaru's birthday party's about to start." With that he speeded away.

As soon as he made it to the street, he all but bumped into Kiba, who'd just been entering. Just a single look at his expression told the brunet enough. "Okay, you're obviously in a need of some distraction." The boy gestured him to follow. "C'mon, the party's about to start already. So let's go."

He took a deep breath. "No offence, but I'd rather go home."

Kiba obviously wasn't taking no for an answer. "Hell no you are going there to mope around. Besides, I heard Shikamaru's got a wicked recipe for punch."

To him, that was enough of encouragement. At the moment alcohol didn't sound like such a bad idea. Besides, Shikamaru lived in a dorm – the parties around there were always wild. If that wouldn't give him the chance to sort out his head, nothing would.

And he was right. As the night went on, Naruto realized that the punch was working its magic. At some point he was so lightheaded that he could barely stand.

And just then he realized that Sai was stood only a small distance away.

Kiba beat him to reacting, alcohol sharpening the brunet's usually bubbling temper. "Who the hell invited you, anyway?"

Most would've been insulted, but Sai's expression didn't change. "I heard this noise all the way to my dorm room." The boy then looked towards him and frowned. "Are you drunk?"

He folded his arms haughtily. "So what if I am?"

Sai seemed to supress a sigh before walking up to him and taking his hand. "Come on, Naruto. I'm taking you home."

He tried to move away with a glare, but instead stumbled, falling forward. Sai obviously misunderstood his gesture, because in a moment the boy leaned for a kiss.

He was confused, there was a mess of emotions inside his head and above all else, he was gloriously drunk. And that's why he was an idiot enough to kiss back, for just a moment.

It took far longer than it should've before his brain caught up with his actions. When that happened, he turned into a statue, his lips forming a very unintelligent 'o' and his eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.

Clearly noticing his lack of response, Sai pulled back and gave him a somewhat confused look. "Naruto? What's wrong?"

Ah, there were many things he wanted to say – _should've_ said. Good and sensible stuff, like 'We're over, remember?', 'I don't want you kissing me' or even 'Get away from me!'. But as it was, no words came out. Instead he found himself throwing up rather loudly.

"Oh, great…!" someone groaned in the background.

With that he took off, as fast as he could in his current condition.

* * *

In all, utter honesty Naruto didn't have the slightest clue what happened after that. Because the next thing he at least somewhat realized, was that it was several hours later and he was stood by the backdoor of the Snake's Den. And he was so drunk that he could barely stand.

He must've been standing there for quite some time, because by the time Sasuke emerged he was shivering from cold.

Sasuke gave him a far from impressed look when seeing the condition he was in. "You've gotta be kidding me." The raven's eyes then sharpened. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

He shrugged and laughed. "I have no idea." His tongue felt too thick, and his speech didn't come out right. But at the moment he didn't mind. He stepped – or well, swayed – closer to the other. "I just… I guess my feet took me here. Funny, huh?"

Sasuke didn't look amused. In his current condition he wondered why. "Hilarious." The raven then took a stone-hard, uncompromising hold on him to steady him. "Come on, moron. We've gotta get you away from here before I lose my job, or you freeze to death."

Whether it was because of alcohol or something else entirely, he came to a conclusion that Sasuke's touch felt… very good, actually. The Uchiha was softer than he'd expected. He smiled with drunken bliss, leaning closer. "You're warm."

Sasuke shoved him further with a firm elbow. "And you stink. So back off."

Their journey continued in silence, mostly because he discovered that he had to process each step very carefully. He also swayed, a lot. It looked like gravity itself was against him. And then his balance slipped so badly that he slumped against Sasuke.

He cast a look of accusation towards his legs. "Stupid things."

Sasuke emitted a loud sound of irritation. "You fucking moron…" The raven then sighed, starting to drag him forward. "Do _not_ fall down on me, understood? I'm taking you to my place – it's only a couple of blocks away."

Due to some drunken twist of mind, he found himself pleased by this announcement. "You're taking me home?" he all but chirped in a voice that was not his. "Cool!"

Sasuke seemed far from as excited.

He had absolutely no idea how long they'd been struggling forward until his alcohol invaded head realized that they'd reached one of the city's fanciest blocks, where huge houses towered as though competing which one of them was the biggest. And they were stood before a huge, very expensive looking white house.

He blinked slowly once, twice. "Wow…!"

Sasuke's eyes, if possible, darkened still as the raven pulled him to motion, so roughly that he almost fell. "Enough with the gawking. Let's go inside before any of the neighbors sees you." They walked on for a moment before the Uchiha continued. "Oh yeah, and Naruto? If you wake up Yuki or Madara, you're dead."

He gave a goofy smile. "I'll be as quiet as a mouse. Honest!"

Sasuke growled lightly. "Then shut the fuck up already."

He chose to obey, just this once.

He allowed Sasuke to lead him to the house's backdoor, then watched with drunken fascination how the raven typed in a code to the alarm system. The light on it turned from red to green, and Sasuke opened the door. To his unexpected disappointment it was so dark that he couldn't really see a thing, but Sasuke knew the way almost scarily well. And all of a sudden they stopped before a door the Uchiha pushed open.

As it turned out when the lights were switched on, Sasuke's room… was exactly like he'd expected. Neat and strictly organized, tons of books, pale or dark colors of which the dominant one was blue… Plain and professional. And there enthroning it all was Sasuke's violin.

He found himself grinning like an idiot. "Just like I thought", he declared.

Sasuke made a gruff sound, almost making him fall down when releasing the hold that'd been steadying him upright. "You, go to bed and sober up. I've gotta go and check up on Yuki."

It appeared his body wasn't pleased with that plan, because he soon found himself taking a tight hold of the Uchiha's waistline. He was much too aware of the fact that he could barely stand, but that didn't shudder his determination.

Sasuke's expression wasn't even close to a happy one. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" the raven snarled lowly.

His hands sneaked downwards, betraying his intentions long before words. "This… is nice", he muttered, knowing that his lips were ghosting only millimetres from Sasuke's. "Touching you… feels nice."

Sasuke's left eyebrow twitched dangerously. "Get off. Right now."

He pouted and frowned. "Why?" Good lord, his voice was so annoying…! And what the hell were his hands doing?!

Sasuke gave him a rather fiery look, forcefully pushing his prying hands away. "For one, idiot, you're gay."

His grin revealed some teeth as he leaned closer. "Maybe I'm not as gay as you think", he pointed out in a very drunken tone.

Sasuke rolled eyes. "I'm not going to do anything with you when you're in _that _condition."

He shrugged. "You're not sober, either." Even in his current condition, he could identify the stench of alcohol coming from the Uchiha. "So… Doesn't that make us even?" His hands gained a life of their own once more, and he could actually feel how his cheeks flushed for severa lreasons. He leaned, or perhaps swayed, closer, his lips finding the raven's pink-tinged cheek. "And don't even try telling me you don't want this."

He wasn't entirely sure what happened. Because in a flash he wasn't standing anymore – he found himself from Sasuke's bed, with the raven all but sitting on top of him. Their gazes met, fierce and filled with challenge.

His body working before his mind could quite catch on he took a hold of Sasuke's shirt, only to get a look that convinced him to control himself.

If he wanted to play this game, he'd need to follow the lead.

Alcohol clouding his mind, he watched how Sasuke pulled off her shirt, then moved on to his pants. And he felt something inside him spin completely out of control as he gasped when Sasuke's hand brushed something very, very private.

He remembered clearly feeling Sasuke's lips against his, even recalled himself noting that they tasted different from that stupid accidental kiss they'd had. And better than anything he remembered how incredibly warm the Uchiha was against his shivering body – almost like the raven had been on fire. Something spun inside him as the two of them pracitcally melted into each other.

And then it became dark in his memories.

* * *

The next time Naruto started to regain consciousness, he groaned loudly as a crushing headache swam in. It felt like someone had been banging his head with a sledgehammer. There was also a taste in his mouth that suggested something had crawled in and died there.

He groaned against his hand, rubbing his face forcefully.

_Great… I'm _never_ going to drink again._

It was around then he shifted, and felt a bang he couldn't identify when noticing that the other side of the bed was empty. It wasn't like he would've remembered much about the night before, but it would've been nice to sort things out. Because at the moment he felt like a total, utter moron.

It took a long while before he managed to get out of the bed, and much longer to get dressed. He didn't know how long he'd been wandering around the house until he finally found the kitchen. Making a sound of gratitude, he took himself a glass of water.

And then he noticed that he wasn't alone in the room. For sitting by the table was none other than Madara Uchiha, who was glaring at him.

_Oh crap…_

He gave a shaky, hangoverish grin. "G'morning", he just managed, then added just in case. "Sir."

Madara gave him a look that was far from impressed. "So you're the one who made all that noise last night", the older man stated dryly.

He could actually feel how his face went all red. Fantastic – the situation just got from uncomfortable to a total disaster. "Eh… Yeah", he muttered, not knowing what else to say. He would've wanted to sit, but didn't dare to when seeing the man's expression.

It took a long, chilling moment before Madara spoke. "Sit."

He had no intention of disobeying, although he was shivering from terror and hangover.

Madara's eyes were pure ice. "My brother was a mess as long as he lived – in the end he got himself, his wife and almost Sasuke as well killed because he was too much of an idiot to realize that he was too drunk to drive. Since then I've been fighting to keep Sasuke from taking that road." The man's eyes narrowed, which made him look even more threatening. "She was already knocked up. I'm not letting a brat like you destroy her life with this childish fooling around, do you understand? I want you to leave Sasuke alone."

He felt like suffocating for some reason, enough so to strike him speechless although he wanted to scream at the top of his voice. His eyes also stung. "Sasuke gets to make up her own mind", he managed to wheeze in the end.

Madara shrugged, appearing extremely irritated. "I'm sure Sasuke agrees with me – go ahead and ask if you don't believe me. She's in Yuki's room. You've got ten minutes."

It was surprisingly easy to find Yyki's room, although his feet weighed a ton. He just had to blink at what he found, because the sight was so unbelievable – even more surreal than seeing Sasuke with those kids in the hospital.

There was a look he'd never seen before on _anyone_ as the raven watched over while Yuki played, with the child sitting as close to the Uchiha as possible. Sometimes Yuki turned to look at Sasuke and emitted demanding sounds – even words – and the raven always knew exactly what the child wanted. Those two were clearly a unit, a rather strange one in their lack of proper words but one nonetheless.

His heart swelled and warmed up at that sight.

And then Sasuke lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. The look was a long and lingering one, almost evaluating. Something darkened in those onyx pools.

He wasn't a total moron – he sensed threat and danger in the air. But he tried to smile nonetheless to ease the tension. "Eh, 'morning."

"I thought you'd already left." Sasuke's tone couldn't be read.

He frowned. What kind of a guy did Sasuke think he was?! "Why would I have done that after last night? We need to talk to talk."

Sasuke's eyes darkened still as the raven got up and walked up to him, folded arms to create a wall between them. "There's nothing to be talked about, Naruto. We made a mistake – it's no big deal, and there's nothing I'm expecting of you. So go."

His frown deepened still as confusion swirled inside him. Keeping his tone quiet so that Yuki wouldn't hear was a hard task. "I'm not some jackass who ditches a girl after sleeping with her! I want to know where we're headed."

"We're not 'going' anywhere. I don't have room for you in my life, do you understand?" the raven hissed, something he'd never seen before building up in those onyx pools. "And you're fifteen, for crying out loud! Do honestly want to take something like this to your shoulders?!"

He arched and eyebrow and folded his arms, like an upset child. "That's my decision to make, right?"

Sasuke's eyes flashed dangerously before the raven turned to Yuki, who appeared confused by their conversation. "I'll be back very soon, alright?" With that the raven got up and soon he was all but pushed out of the room. Sasuke left the door slightly open to be able to keep an eye on her son.

He took a deep breath. "Sasuke, I…"

Sasuke didn't give him the chance to finish. "Just tell me one thing. What do you remember about last night?"

He frowned. What was that question all about? "I…" He then swallowed thickly. "Well, you… took me here. We got…" His cheeks heated up. "… got carried away." And… that was all. Plus, of course, he still remembered Sasuke's taste in his mouth, but he didn't feel like voicing that bit.

Sasuke didn't appear impressed, or surprised. "That's what I thought." The raven's eyes flashed. "I gave you the chance to leave. You should've taken it."

He frowned, feeling more frustrated than ever in his life. "That's unfair – you're not even giving me a chance to sort out my head!" And at that moment, he most likely made his biggest mistake during the conversation. "I… I enjoyed last night, okay? That much I know."

Sasuke's eyes were cold and hard as they looked deep into his. "If you want a playmate, fuck off and find someone else. Because I'm done having my life messed up and turned upside down – my life _and_ my son's."

His throat contricted painfully. "Sasuke…!"

"Leave!" That was no request.

Just one look into Sasuke's eyes revealed that he really didn't have a choice if he wanted to maintain his life and full health. Extremely reluctant to do so, he took a couple of steps away. He peered over his shoulder to see Sasuke walk back into the room.

And at that moment he felt frustrated and confused once more, even scared.

Because as the room's door closed, he realized that he _might_ – just might – be falling in love with Sasuke Uchiha.

-

As soon as Naruto was out of the house, Sasuke closed her eyes and took a deep breath, fighting to control the turmoil inside.

She shivered a little when hearing steps. "Was that him?" Madara asked in a voice that was easy enough to read.

Sasuke nodded, not bothering with words. Her throat felt unnaturally tight.

"Clean yourself up – you look like hell. Then come downstairs. We need to talk." With that Madara left.

Sasuke barely heard the man, because her thoughts were elsewhere.

She didn't give a damn about Naruto – she couldn't. So why the hell did she feel like there was something broken inside her?

* * *

TBC, no?

* * *

A/N: Ah, those two are so good at making a mess out of themselves AND each other…! (groans loudly)

So… Was that any good, at all? **PLEASE**, leave a note to let me know – it'd seriously mean the world to me! (gives absolutely irresistible puppy's eyes) Pretty pwease…?

IN THE NEXT ONE: As Naruto's head starts to clear out, he realizes that there's something he needs to do. In the meantime Sasuke's life approaches another spin… Itachi Uchiha returns.

**ONLY FOUR MORE TO GO!**

Until next time, folks! I really hope ya'll all stick around for that one.

Peace out!


End file.
